Half-centuries from Ed Cowan and Ricky Ponting left Australia in control at the end of the third day of the third and final Test against the West Indies at Windsor Park on Wednesday.
Australia finished the day on 200 for six in their second innings and with a healthy lead of 310 runs in a match that they only need to draw to take the series having won the opening Test.
West Indies had looked to have got back into the match having added some important runs in the morning session before being bowled out for 218 and then took two quick wickets with David Warner going just before lunch and the dangerous Shane Watson just after the resumption.
The hosts total owed much as ever to a typically stubborn innings of 68 by veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
West Indies had been 165 for eight overnight with Chanderpaul and Ravi Rampaul having already put on 45 for ninth wicket.
They took their partnership to 66 before Nathan Lyon broke through. Rampaul came down the wicket but got a thick outside edge and the ball flew up to Warner at point.
The visitors took the new ball after 83.1 overs and in the end it was Chanderpaul that fell.
Obstinate batting
Mitchell Starc was bringing the ball back in off the seam and one finally got past the obstinate West Indian’s bat and trapped him lbw.
Chanderpaul had faced 164 balls for his 68 to make him the highest scorer in the series with 277 runs at an average of 92.33.
It left Australia to face a tricky five overs before lunch and the West Indies got the breakthrough that they would have wanted.
Warner had already struck Rampaul for two boundaries. However, in the last over before the interval he drove loosely at a Kemar Roach delivery and edged to the only fielder in the slip cordon, Chanderpaul.
Shane Shillingford, who had taken six wickets in the first innings, came on to bowl straight after lunch.
In his second over he found the edge of Cowan’s bat but Carlton Baugh, who has had a poor series behind the stumps, put down the knee-high chance.
In his next over, though, Shillingford struck. Watson guided a ball off the face of the bat straight to leg slip where Darren Sammy held on to a sharp chance and the tourists were looking shaky at 25-2.
Building partnerships
Cowan and Ponting settled and started to build a partnership. Cowan made it to 20 for the fourth consecutive innings and went past his highest score of the series when he reached 35.
Cowan went on to bring up his third test half century with a cut through point.
However, once again he failed to build on a good base and was out for 55 as he got a thick edge to a Deonarine delivery and the ball flew at shoulder height to Sammy at slip who took a terrific, sharp catch.
Ponting took another risky single to bring up his fifty, also his first half-century of the series.
Shortly afterwards his luck ran out. He had made 57 when he ducked under a Roach bouncer but had left his bat telescoped in the air. The ball hit it and looped up for Chanderpaul to scoot around from slip and take the catch. Roach has dismissed Ponting more times than any other West Indian bowler.
Shillingford slowed Australia’s progress some more when he had Michael Clarke pulling at a shorter ball that looped up for an easy catch to Darren Bravo and first inning centurion Matthew Wade fell for just four this time round trapped lbw by Deonarine.
Mike Hussey (17) and Ryan Harris (4) took Australia to stumps without any further scares. — Sapa-AFP