KINGSTON, Jamaica – Swing bowler Stuart Clark spoiled a spirited West Indies bowling effort by removing the first three batsmen to keep Australia in the ascendancy on the second day of the first Digicel Test for the Frank Worrell Trophy at Sabina Park on Friday.
 
After the West Indies were sparked by a five-wicket haul from fast bowler Fidel Edwards and inspired seam bowling from Darren Sammy to dismiss Australia for 431 in their first innings, Clark sent back openers Devon Smith (32) and Brenton Parchment (9) and also grabbed the key wicket of captain Ramnaresh Sarwan (7).
 
It left the West Indies wobbling on 68 for three but an unbroken 47-run fourth-wicket stand between the reliable Shivnarine Chanderpaul, not out on 25, and the obdurate Runako Morton, on 23, took the Caribbean cricketers to 115 for three at the close of play, ensuring no more wickets fell in the last 75 minutes.
 
Clark, the lanky New South Wales seamer, who made his Test debut in 2005 at the age of 30 years, ended the day with the impressive figures of three for 18 from eight probing overs.
 
Now in his 16th Test, Clark, who is seen as the ideal replacement for the retired Glenn McGrath with his unerring outswing and line and length bowling, has already taken 71 wickets at an average of 21 runs each.
 
He shared the spotlight with 26-year-old Edwards, who bowled his heart out with good pace and swing en route to capturing five for 104 from 26.5 overs. He received admirable support from Sammy, who took two for 78 in 29 overs and kept the Australian batsmen on a tight rein until Andrew Symonds rallied the Australian lower order with a responsible, unbeaten 70.
 
Symonds’ knock was adorned by eight fours and two sixes off 115 balls in 162 minutes as he cleverly shielded the tail-enders while gathering 52 of the 59 runs Australia scored after they had been restricted to only 71 runs from 25 overs in the morning session to go to lunch on 372 for seven.
 
In reply, the West Indies started positively with left-hander Smith executing a few exquisite square cuts in a cameo knock of 32 as he went past 1 000 runs in his 23rd Test before he was bowled off his pads by Clark.
 
Sarwan departed to a disappointing shot as he inexplicably tried to steer a lifting delivery from the same bowler over the slips but only succeeded in slicing a catch for wicket-keeper Brad Haddin to haul in above his head.
 
Rookie opener Brenton Parchment, in only his second Test, adopted a cautious approach but was unsettled when he was struck on the helmet by Brett Lee. He eventually edged an out-swinger from Clark for Haddin to pouch his second Test catch, ending a tortured knock of nine runs from 61 balls in 105 minutes.
 
Earlier, the 26-year-old Edwards captured his sixth career five-wicket haul as the last six Australian wickets fell for 130 runs when a 500-plus total seemed likely after they resumed from 301 for four overnight.
 
The Windies’ invigorated effort began in the day’s sixth over with the second new ball which had been taken in the final over of the opening day. Edwards got his revenge on Brad Hodge, who had cut him for successive fours as he moved his overnight score from 53 to 67.
 
Edwards, who was warned by Zimbabwean umpire Russell Tiffin for running down the middle of the pitch, induced an edge from Hodge and wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin dived to his right to take a tumbling one-handed catch.
 
Night watchman Mitchell Johnson frustrated the West Indies for almost 90 minutes until he was deceived by a slower delivery from Sammy and spooned a simple catch to mid-on after making 22 off 53 balls.
 
Sammy, St. Lucia’s only Test cricketer, got the ball to bounce and swing and was rewarded with his second wicket in the final over before lunch when Haddin, got a bottom edge to a pulled shot and was caught by Ramdin for 11.
 
But Symonds blossomed from a slow and shaky start to shore up the Australian lower order. He had a couple of anxious moments, narrowly escaping being run out by Sammy, who brilliantly fielded the ball on his follow-through but missed the stumps with his throw with him out of his crease.
 
Symonds was also extremely lucky to survive a confident leg before wicket appeal from Edwards with the first delivery after lunch, which struck him in line with the stumps before he had added to his interval score of 18.
 
Lee was not so fortunate when he ducked into a delivery from Edwards which did not get up as much as he expected and was struck on the thigh pad in front the stumps.
 
Clark was Daren Powell’s lone wicket, spectacularly caught by Dwayne Bravo, who ran around from mid-off and dived to his right to pouch a two-handed catch.
 
Symonds then went on the attack, smashing 16 runs in the final over from Sammy. He reached his fifty with a six, which slipped through Sarwan’s hands on the ropes at long on.
 
He also lifted Edwards for a huge six over long on but the persevering bowler was undaunted and ended a frustrating 32-run, last-wicket partnership by uprooting Stuart MacGill’s middle stump to move his tally of wickets to 85 in 32 Tests.

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