Chanderpaul puts WI out front

Apr 09, 2012 Sports

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BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – Shivnarine Chanderpaul collected a milestone 25th Test hundred, putting West Indies in a favourable position in the first Digicel Test against Australia on Sunday.
The durable left-hander was undefeated on 103, leading West Indies to 449 for nine declared in their first innings on the second day at Kensington Oval.

West Indies however, failed to make a breakthrough before the close, as David Warner, not out 27, and Ed Cowan, not out 13, batted with aplomb, as Australia reached 44 without loss before bad light stopped play 6.1 overs early.
Chanderpaul held centre stage for most of the dya however. He is now third on the list of Test century-makers for West Indies, behind Brian Lara (34) and Garfield Sobers (26) and in front of Vivian Richards (24).
He also eclipsed Lara’s record of 1,339 for most runs at Kensington Oval. He now has 1,374 at 52.84 from 28 innings in 16 appearances.
Chanderpaul reached the landmark from 235 balls, when he pulled Ben Hilfenhaus through square leg for two, typically anchoring a determined West Indies batting effort.
Several other batsmen got starts, but failed to follow Chanderpaul’s lead, as every West Indies batsman reached double figures for the first time ever in a Test innings.
Starting the day on 179 for three, West Indies reached 291 for five, when rain brought the lunch interval five minutes earlier than scheduled.
Chanderpaul had crossed his 50 from 108 balls, turning a delivery from off-spinner Nathan Lyon through backward square leg for a single, and putting on 73 for the fourth wicket with Darren Bravo.
Fellow left-hander Bravo reached his 50 from 114 balls, when he steered a delivery from Peter Siddle between slip and gully to third man for the last of his seven boundaries.
He reeled off a few trademark, classy drives through the off-side, before he was caught at first gully for 51, when he sliced a drive at a pitched-up delivery from Shane Watson. He also struck one six in his 123-ball innings which lasted close to three hours.
Narsingh Deonarine, playing his first innings in a Test for two years, came to the crease and kept up the pressure on the Aussies. He added 45 with Chanderpaul, a fluent extra cover drive from the off-spin of Lyon was the highlight.
In an eventful over, Deonarine was caught behind for 21, when he got the leading edge on a short, rising delivery from Harris.
Fortune twice favoured Baugh in the remaining four balls in the over. He got off the mark, when he fended away a short, rising delivery between second slip and gully to third man for four, and was dropped next ball, when he edged a loose drive off Harris low to second slip, where Ricky Ponting failed to grab a low chance.
After lunch, Chanderpaul continued to inch his way to his hundred, allowing the other batsmen to bat freely, as West Indies reached 390 for seven at tea.
He cut Lyon past point for his eighth boundary, moving from 65 to 69 to become the leading scorer in Tests at the ground affectionately known as “the Mecca” of West Indies cricket.
He shared two valuable stands in a dramatic period between lunch and tea. He added 31 for the sixth wicket with Baugh and put on a further 53 with West Indies captain Darren Sammy.
Baugh made 22 and Sammy defied a blow to the helmet for a cameo of 41 that further enriched West Indies’ position.
Baugh curbed his natural instincts and was just beginning to blossom, when he backed up too far and was run out, failing to beat Harris’ direct hit at the bowler’s end from mid-wicket.
Sammy came to the crease and immediately got into stride, whacking three fours off Lyon’s 19th over to the long-off boundary.
But he suffered a blow to his helmet, when he ducked into a short delivery from Watson that did not climb all that much.
After a few minutes to regain his composure and change his helmet, he responded to the blow with a high, straight six off the next delivery from Watson, triggering a period in which Australia’s bowlers lost their nerve and Sammy cashed in.
Sammy drove the first delivery in Watson’s next over to the long-off boundary for four, and swung the third delivery over mid-wicket for six.
He got real delight, when he swung Hilfenhaus over wide long-on for his third six, but he was caught at deep mid-wicket two balls later off the same bowler, when he miscued a hook at a short, rising ball.
After tea, the bowlers kept Chanderpaul company, ushering him to his hundred and limping West Indies over the 400-run threshold.
West Indies are seeking their first Test win over the Aussies in nine years, and first series victory in close to two decades.
Scores: Australia 44 for 0 trail West Indies 449 for 9 dec (Chanderpaul 103*, K Edwards 61, Brathwaite 57, Bravo 51) by 405 runs.

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