ROSEAU, Dominica (CMC) – Veteran left-hander Shiv Chanderpaul surpassed 10 000 runs in Tests but was one of two key wickets to fall in the last half-hour, leaving West Indies with a herculean task of beating Australia in the third and final Test here yesterday. The unflappable Guyanese reached the landmark en route to a top score of 69 as West Indies, chasing an imposing 370 for victory, finished the fourth day at Windsor Park on 173 for five.
When he moved to 14 by clipping left-arm spinner Michael Clarke through mid-wicket for a single – a stroke that has typified his 140-match career – he became only the tenth batsman overall and the second West Indian to achieve the milestone.
He now has 10 055 runs, now only behind the mercurial Brian Lara who has 11 953 runs.
Chanderpaul and Darren Bravo, who stroked 45, had offered West Indies a glimmer of hope when they engaged in an entertaining 110-run stand for the fourth wicket, after West Indies seemed on the brink of implosion at 45 for three.
But Bravo edged medium pacer Shane Watson behind half-hour before the close and Chanderpaul perished in the last over of the day, lbw to Clarke on review, to leave the Windies with a near impossible task of getting the remaining 197 runs on the final day today.
Narsingh Deonarine was unbeaten on 11 at the close.
Earlier, off-spinner Shane Shillingford finished with a 10-wicket match haul as Australia were dismissed for 259 after resuming the day on 200 for six.
Left-hander Mike Hussey carried his overnight 17 to 32 while Mitchell Starc struck 21, as the Aussies added 59 in 20 overs before the innings ended 35 minutes before lunch.
Shillingford, following a six-wicket first-innings haul, picked up two of the four wickets to fall to end with figures of ten for 219.
Australia added 20 runs before losing Hussey, caught low down at slip by captain Darren Sammy off Shillingford, in the seventh over of the day.
Ryan Harris followed 17 balls later, top-edging a sweep at off-spinner Narsingh Deonarine (3-45) for wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh to take an easy catch in front of the wicket.
Hilfenhaus then lasted all of five balls before he was brilliantly taken at silly mid-off by a diving Brathwaite for six, at 237 for nine.
Starc struck a few lusty blows – two fours and a straight six off Shillingford – as he added 22 with Nathan Lyon (12 not out) for the last wicket.
Fast bowler Kemar Roach (3-40) ended the resistance, however, beating Starc’s defensive prod and hitting the top of off-stump.
In the seven overs before lunch, West Indies lost Adrian Barath without scoring in the third over of the innings, brilliantly caught by a diving Ed Cowan at square leg off right-arm seamer Ben Hilfenhaus, to go to the interval at two for one.
Afterward, the Windies suffered two more blows as opener Kraigg Brathwaite (14) and Kieran Powell (24) departed during the post-lunch session, both falling to Clarke who finished the day with three for 22.
Brathwaite, dropped on 12 by Ricky Ponting at leg slip off off-spinner Nathan Lyon at 23 for one, was adjudged lbw to one that a review showed was barely hitting the top of off-stump.
The left-handed Powell played positively to strike four fours off 52 balls before completely missing a drive and being bowled through the gate, on the stroke of the first hour after lunch.
Chanderpaul and Bravo then put their heads down to patch up the innings in an attempt to deny Australia an increasingly likely victory that will see them take the series 2-0.
Opting for urgency over his customary vigilance, Chanderpaul set a brisk pace for the partnership and dominated the stand with Bravo.
He hit six boundaries from 122 while Bravo garnered five fours off 145 balls.
Just when the pendulum looked to be swinging the Windies way, Bravo nibbled at one angled across him from Watson and gave wicketkeeper Matthew Wade a low catch and a hush fell across the ground when the controversial umpires review found Chanderpaul adjacent.

AUSTRALIA 1st innings 328
WEST INDIES 1st innings 218
AUSTRALIA 2nd innings (o/n 200 for six)
D. Warner c Chanderpaul b Roach 11
E. Cowan c Sammy b Deonarine 55
S. Watson c Sammy b Shillingford 5
R. Ponting c Chanderpaul b Roach 57
M. Clarke c Bravo b Shillingford 25
M. Hussey c Sammy b Shillingford 32
M. Wade lbw b Deonarine 4
R. Harris c wkp. Baugh b Deonarine 9
M. Starc b Roach 21
B. Hilfenhaus c Brathwaite b Shillingford 6
N. Lyon not out 12
Extras: (b-8, lb-9, w-1, nb-4) 22
Total: (all out; 85 overs) 259
Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-25, 3-112, 4-168, 5-171, 6-196, 7-220, 8-230, 9-237.
Bowling: Rampaul 9-1-37-0, Roach 13-2-40-3, Shillingford 39-7-100-4, Sammy 10-4-20-0, Deonarine 14-1-45-3.

WEST INDIES 2nd innings (target: 370 runs)
A. Barath c Cowan b Hilfenhaus 0
K. Brathwaite lbw b Clarke 14
K. Powell b Clarke 24
D. Bravo c wkp. Wade b Watson 45
S. Chanderpaul lbw b Clarke 69
N. Deonarine not out 11
Extras: (b-3, lb-7) 10
Total: (5 wkts; 67.1 overs) 173
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-28, 3-45, 4-155, 5-173.
Bowling: Hilfenhaus 10-5-14-1, Starc 8-2-20-0, Lyon 18-3-46-0, Harris 9-2-23-0, Clarke 12.1-0-34-3, Watson 9-2-20-1, Warner 1-0-6-0..
Position: West Indies require another 197 runs for victory.