Chanderpaul frustrates Aussies in third Test

Australia had limited success, and encountered the familiar stumbling block of Shivnarine Chanderpaul, before tea in the third and final Test against West Indies on Friday.

At the break, West Indies, replying to Australia's first innings total of 251, were 167 for four with Chanderpaul not out on 47 and Dwayne Bravo not out on 29 on the second day of the Test at Kensington Oval. Australia collected the scalp of Xavier Marshall for 39, but Chanderpaul and Bravo knuckled down and have stabilised West Indies with a stand of 59 - unbroken - for the fifth wicket.

Although the Australian bowlers have extracted plenty bounce from the surface, they gained very little sideways movement and pace from the hard, true pitch, and the West Indies batsmen were able to inch their way along. The visitors had to turn to Andrew Symonds' medium pace to gain the breakthrough, when he had Marshall caught at mid-wicket for 39 flicking a ball uppishly to the fielder.

Brett Lee, however, has been Australia's most successful bowler with two wickets for 47 runs from 11 overs.

Before lunch, Australia captured three wickets to put their noses in front as West Indies reached 89 for three at the interval.

Lee removed West Indies captain Chris Gayle and fellow left-handed opener Sewnarine Chattergoon in an energetic opening spell, and Stuart Clark added another key scalp of vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan. Lee had Chattergoon caught behind for six nibbling at a delivery that moved slightly away, and then caused further grief, when he had Gayle caught at mid-off for 14 to a spectacular diving catch from Test newcomer Beau Casson.

Australia gained another the edge, when Sarwan, a century-maker in the second innings of the drawn second Test in Antigua, sliced a drive and was also brilliantly caught by a flying Mike Hussey at gully for 20 to leave the home team on 64 for three.

Australia had earlier been dismissed about an hour and 40 minutes before lunch, after they continued from their overnight total of 226 for seven. The Aussies suffered an early setback, when Fidel Edwards made the breakthrough, having Casson lbw for 10, and their innings came to a close when the same bowler dismissed Clark for one.

In between, Australia lost Mitchell Johnson caught at gully for a duck fending away a lifting delivery from Jerome Taylor, who was the pick of the West Indies fast bowlers with three for 46 from 12 overs.

Edwards took three for 55 from 17 overs, and Dwayne Bravo snared three for 61 from 15 overs.

Australia lead the three-Test series 1-0, after they won the opening Test at Sabina Park in Jamaica by 95 runs. The second Test at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in the Antigua village of North Sound was drawn.

As a result, Australia have already retained the Frank Worrell Trophy.