Windies on top in first Test

With Clarke gone it is up to Michael Hussey to complete the rescue mission for Australia [AFP]

Australia captain Michael Clarke hit a fluent 73 on Monday as his team reached 248-5 to trail West Indies by 201 runs at stumps on the third day of the opening Test.

In pursuit of West Indies’ formidable first innings of 449-9 declared, Australia batsman Michael Hussey compiled a confident 47 not out with teammates David Warner (42) and Shane Watson (39) also making starts at Kensington Oval.

Darren Sammy led West Indies’ bowling with 2-33, while there was a wicket apiece for fast bowler Kemar Roach (1-56) and legspinner Devendra Bishoo (1-77).

Early lift

Sammy gave the locals an early lift with two early strikes after Australia had resumed the day on 44-0. The wily medium-pacer removed both openers in similar fashion inside the first hour.

Third day scorecard

West Indies 1st Innings 449-9 dec Australia 1st Innings (Overnight 44-0)= E Cowan c Baugh b Sammy 14 D Warner c Bravo b Sammy 42 S Watson c Baugh b Roach 39 R Ponting run out (Brathwaite/Baugh) 4 M Clarke c Deonarine b Bishoo 73 M Hussey not out 47 M Wade not out 19 Extras: 10 TOTAL: (for five wickets) 248 Overs: 95. Fall of wickets: 1-50, 2-65, 3-84, 4-133, 5-215. To bat: Ryan Harris, Ben Hilfenhaus, Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon. Bowling: Fidel Edwards 15-2-41-0 (1nb), Kemar Roach 17-2-56-1, Devendra Bishoo 30-7-77-1 (1nb), Darren Sammy 15-5-33-2, Narsingh Deonarine 18-5-33-0.

Ed Cowan pushed forward defensively on 14 to a ball angled across him and wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh snapped up the edge.

Warner compiled 42 off 55 balls with five boundaries before he also went hard at Sammy and snicked low to Darren Bravo at second slip.

Australia were in further strife at 84-3 when 163-Test veteran Ricky Ponting was run out for 4 after a mix-up with Shane Watson.

Watson always wanted a second run to square leg, but Ponting hesitated and perished when Kraigg Brathwaite’s throw found both batsmen in the same half of the pitch.

Watson and Clarke shared a stand of 49 that took Australia to 133-3 at lunch.

But Roach broke through with the second ball after the interval, Watson chasing a wide ball and giving Baugh another comfortable catch.

Watson, who had survived two lbw shouts early in his innings, hit five fours and a six in 80 deliveries.

West Indies struggled to find a way through afterward as Clarke and Hussey fashioned a partnership of 82. Clarke overcame an DRS reprieve before lunch – initially given out caught behind off Bishoo by umpire Tony Hill – to play some classic strokes.

Clarke hit four fours and a six in 172 balls before he went trying to attack Bishoo. He was 18 short of reaching 6,000 Test runs when he skewed a catch off the leading edge to Narsingh Deonarine at long-off to make the score 215-5.

But as the light faded, Hussey and debutant Matthew Wade forged another defiant stand of 33 despite the left-handers having some difficult moments against the spinners on a wearing pitch.

Hussey struck six fours in 157 balls. Wade, who slapped his first ball in Test cricket for a boundary through extra cover, was unbeaten on 19 off 53 balls.