West Indies On Top

Shillingford 34-8-77-4

Australia has finished the first day of the Third Test at the Windsor Ground in Roseau in poor position, despite the batsmen spending time at the crease and the 8th wicket pair adding 43 in an hour before the close. The West Indies bowlers dominated, especially off spinner Shane Shillingford, who bowled unchanged but for a change of ends from the 20th over until stumps.

Australia won the toss and batted, omitting Michael Beer who was replaced by Ryan Harris as pace was considered to be more important on this dead looking pitch. Mitchell Starc won his fourth Test in place of the injured James Pattinson, who is already under physiotherapists hands back home.

Ed Cowan was out without playing a shot in the second over to Ravi Rampaul, always a foolish practice on the first morning with a new ball coming at you.

Shane Watson and Dave Warner added the day's best stand of 83 for the second wicket but not without plenty of incident. Warner, playing without regard to the conditions, shouldn't have got past 5 when Darren Sammy dropped yet another sitter at third slip from Rampaul in the 8th over. He continued to play risky shots, attempting sweeps from Shillingford when he came on that were full of the threat of dismissal. The pair made it to lunch with no further loss but it was slow, hard work. Watson was dropped in close by Adrian Barath from Shillingford after lunch and lasted only another half hour before Sammy removed him at the end of a long spell when he dropped short and Watson sent a free hit to Narsingh Deonarine at mid wicket. After such hard work, it was a waste. When drinks were taken with Ponting at the wicket, 15 runs had been added in the hour in as many overs. Three overs later, Warner hit a ball straight to cover point where Kieran Powell held a simple catch.

Sammy catches Hussey

Ponting and Michael Clarke combined to add 31 until tea and both looked comfortable. After tea, Shillingford's control was eating away at the Australians. He turns an off break sharply but strangely, rarely bowls an arm ball and has a doosra too green to be used more than once of twice in an innings. His great advantage is something Nathan Lyon can never obtain unless they bring back the rack. Shillingford is tall, very tall and when he hits a length, the ball has more bounce than normal. This played out as Ponting, Clarke and Michael Hussey all played forward looking to put the ball on the blade but found it a foot higher than they expected and all gloved catches around the wicket. Ryan Harris, fresh from his half century at Port-o-Spain and elevated to No 8, was bounced out by Kemar Roach, gloving again as he attempted a hook, a shot tail enders should never play. 3-142 had slumped to 7-169.

Mitchell Starc is a much better bat than most in the tail but his next hour was a succession of lofted drives down the wicket off Shillingford and for the rest of the time, he had less idea than the average liberal back bencher. Matthew Wade took up Warner's challenge and swept at Shillingford, almost exclusively unsuccessfully but handled the faster men reasonably well, although Rampaul bowled a good spell at him with the old ball. The pair will take up the fight in the morning against a fresh Roach and a hungry Rampaul before Shillingford swings in behind them in search of the first five wicket haul of his short career. He has already become the first Dominican to play Test cricket on his home ground.