West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul (right) plays the ball through the onside while scoring an unbeaten 107 against Australia, on the fourth day of the second Digicel Test at the Sir Vivian Richards ground in Antigua, yesterday. - Dellmar photo
ST JOHN'S, Antigua (CMC):
Shivnarine Chanderpaul battled to his 19th Test century but Brett Lee's pace and accurate reverse swing, aided by three successive, contentious umpiring decisions, triggered a West Indies collapse and placed Australia in a match-winning position at the close of the fourth day of the second Digicel Test, yesterday.
Securing a lead of 127 runs after dismissing the hosts for 352 after they resumed at 255 for four, the tourists reached stumps at 244 for six in their second innings, an overall lead of 371 runs.
Possible repercussions
Yet, whatever transpires today, the events of the fourth morning - and more precisely the circumstances that contributed to Lee's destructive spell of five wickets for four runs in the space of 18 deliveries - will overshadow the rest of the match and could have repercussions beyond the final ball, given that it involved the highly emotive issue of umpiring errors.
In contrast with the heavy showers on Sunday morning that robbed more than half of the third day's play, excellent weather provided the backdrop for Chanderpaul and Dwayne Bravo to progress serenely on the fourth morning with their fourth-wicket partnership, extending it to 132 runs when the meandering pace of the match was transformed into turbulence and controversy.
Persisting with the old ball into the 93rd over, Ponting summoned Lee after a succession of innocuous overs from slow bowlers Stuart MacGill, Michael Clarke and Andrew Symonds.
He got the breakthrough almost immediately, Bravo, on 45, being adjudged caught behind by wicketkeeper Brad Haddin down the leg-side, although television replays showed that the ball had touched only the all-rounder's thigh pad.
His obvious disappointment at the verdict by Russell Tiffin was, therefore, understandable. Fellow Trinidadian, Denesh Ramdin, also had reason to feel aggrieved when the Zimbabwean official ruled him lbw to the very next delivery, a searing late inswinger that caught the wicketkeeper-batsman on the crease. Again, television replays confirmed suspicions that he was struck outside the line of the off-stump.
Little consolation
However, that would have been little consolation for the two batsmen, especially as it exposed a vulnerable lower order to a rampant Lee. To add insult to injury, new batsman Darren Sammy, having negotiated the hat-trick delivery, fell to the very first ball of a new over from Lee, also the victim of an erroneous leg-before adjudication by Tiffin, although in this instance it was not nearly as clear-cut as the previous two dismissals.
From the comfort of 314 for four, the West Indies had slumped to 318 for seven and not even the resolute defiance of Chanderpaul, who reached his second century of the series with a boundary off Symonds in the midst of the mayhem, could stem the tide.
The 33-year-old finished unbeaten on 107, his 19th Test century, after 336 minutes in the middle during which he faced 236 balls and struck 12 fours. Not for the first time, he was almost helpless as Lee continued the demolition job at the other end without the assistance of any questionable decisions.
He finished with figures of five for 59.
A level of bitterness
Losing their last six wickets for 38 runs was not an entirely alien occurrence for the West Indies, however, the circumstances of the slide on this occasion generated a level of acrimony that resurfaced nearing the end of a long day.
Still, there was to be a final, and, in some eyes, a fitting twist when Lee was given out caught behind off the glove by Benson for four to another lifter from Edwards off what proved the final ball of the day.
The batsman was not pleased with the verdict, the telltale replays suggesting that he had solid grounds for displeasure. The irony of the final incident was not lost on anyone who had witnessed an unexpectedly incident-filled day.
Edwards finished with two for 28 while Taylor claimed two for 33.
| D Smith c Symonds b Johnson | 16 |
| X Marshall lbw b Clarke | 53 |
| R Sarwan c Clarke b MacGill | 65 |
| R Morton c Katich b Clarke | 2 |
| S Chanderpaul not out | 107 |
| D Bravo c wkp Haddin b Lee | 45 |
| +D Ramdin lbw b Lee | 0 |
| D Sammy lbw b Lee | 0 |
| J Taylor b Lee | 20 |
| D Powell lbw b Lee | 0 |
| F Edwards c wkp Haddin b Johnson | 0 |
| Extras: (b17, lb13, w2, nb12) | 44 |
| TOTAL: (all out, 107 overs) | 352 |
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Fall of wickets: 1-55 (Smith), 2-103 (Marshall), 3-105 (Morton), 4-182 (Sarwan), 5-314 (Bravo), 6-314 (Ramdin), 7-318 (Sammy), 8-341 (Taylor), 9-341 (Powell), 10-352 (Edwards).
Bowling: Lee 21-7-59-5, Johnson 24-5-72-2, Clark 14-0-39-0, MacGill 21-1-107-1, Clarke 15-7-20-2, Symonds 12-3-25-0.
AUSTRALIA 2nd innings
P Jaques c wkp Ramdin b Taylor 76
M Hussey c wkp Ramdin b Bravo 40
R Ponting lbw b Taylor 38
M Clarke run out 10
A Symonds not out 43
+B Haddin lbw b Edwards 7
B Lee c wkp Ramdin b Edwards 4
Extras: (b8, lb6, w3, nb9) 26
TOTAL: (6 wkts, 61.5 overs) 244
To bat: S Katich, M Johnson, S Clark, S MacGill.
Fall of wickets: 1-74 (Hussey), 2-163 (Jaques), 3-178 (Ponting), 4-186 (Clarke), 5-222 (Haddin), 6-244 (Lee).
Bowling: Powell 13-3-47-0, Edwards 7.5-1-28-2, Taylor 12-0-33-2, Sammy 12-1-45-0, Bravo 14-1-59-1, Sarwan 3-0-18-0.
Position: Australia lead by 371 runs.
Umpires: Mark Benson, Russell Tiffin; TV umpire - Norman Malcolm.
