… Chanderpaul hits 94; Deonarine 55
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – A record fifth-wicket stand of 130 between veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Narsingh Deonarine threatened to put West Indies in charge of the second Test but the hosts lost five wickets for 19 runs late in the evening to surrender the advantage to Australia here yesterday.
Chanderpaul fashioned a brilliant 94 while Deonarine scored 55 as West Indies finished the rain-hit third day at Queen’s Park Oval on 252 for nine, still 59 runs adrift of Australia’s first innings 311.
Overtaking that target seemed a reality, however, when the two Guyanese left-handers combined in a stand of 130, a record against the Aussies at the ground.
Chanderpaul faced 217 balls and hit 10 fours and a six while Deonarine lasted 139 balls and struck seven fours and a six.
Once both departed in the space of 17 balls in the last session, the innings collapsed under off-spinner Nathan Lyon’s five-wicket haul, to leave the Windies chasing the game again.
At the close, wicketkeeper/batsman Carlton Baugh was unbeaten on 17 and was accompanied by Fidel Edwards who is yet to score.
Resuming at a precarious 49 for three, the Windies lost just one wicket in the first session when stylish left-hander Darren Bravo was palpably lbw to part-time seamer Mike Hussey for 38.
He faced 94 balls and struck five fours and put on 62 for the third wicket with Chanderpaul.
While watchful, he was quick to pounce on anything loose and collected a pair of off-side boundaries early on, lashing a wide, short ball from Lyon to the cover boundary before unleashing a pristine backfoot drive through cover point off seamer Ben Hilfenhaus.
Hussey’s introduction saw his downfall, however, as he missed a straight ball in the right-armer’s second over and departed, but not before futilely consulting the third umpire.
Chanderpaul and Deonarine, both left-handers, set about repairing the innings with calm heads but capitalising on the limited scoring opportunities before lunch.
Deonarine spent 39 balls over his first three runs before picking up successive leg-side boundaries in the penultimate over before lunch off Lyon – the first a swing through mid-wicket and the second a sweep to fine leg.
Chanderpaul, meanwhile, dropped at slip by captain Michael Clarke off Lyon on six at 61 for three, pressed on unperturbed to reach 45 at lunch.
Both batsmen accelerated after the break, with Chanderpaul gathering three boundaries off the second over from James Pattinson which cost 16.
Deonarine joined in, smacking part-time leg-spinner David Warner over mid-wicket for six and driving Pattinson through cover for four, a stroke that raised his third half-century in Tests.
He was seemingly set when he was deceived in flight by Lyon and stumped at 230 for five and with just one run added, Chanderpaul pushed forward to Lyon in the spinner’s next over and was adjudged lbw.
Wickets then tumbled as captain Darren Sammy holed out to Hussey at long on for one, Shane Shillingford was taken at short leg by Ed Cowan for four and Kemar Roach was given out caught down the leg-side without scoring moments later.
Some 132 minutes were lost in the day to rain, with nearly two hours lost after lunch.

AUSTRALIA 1st innings 311
WEST INDIES 1st innings (o/n 49 for three)
A. Barath lbw b Beer 7
K. Brathwaite lbw b Hilfenhaus 0
K. Powell lbw b Pattinson 19
D. Bravo lbw b Hussey 38
S. Chanderpaul lbw b Lyon 94
N. Deonarine stp. Wade b Lyon 55
C. Baugh not out 17
D. Sammy c Hussey b Lyon 1
S. Shillingford c Cowan b Lyon 4
K. Roach c wkp. Wade b Lyon 0
F. Edwards not out 0
Extras: (lb-8, w-1, nb-8) 17
Total: (9 wkts, 104 overs) 252
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-26, 3-38, 4-100, 5-230, 6-231, 7-237, 8-241, 9-249.
Bowling: Beer 25-9-52-1, Hilfenhaus 16-4-39-1, Lyon 29-9-68-5, Pattinson 11-2-40-1, Hussey 6-1-19-1, Watson 12-5-14-0, Warner 3-1-9-0, Clarke 2-0-3-0.
Position: West Indies trail by 59 runs.