A Lyon's Share

On a day when the West Indies were the better side for the first two and a half sessions of three, Australia still finished on top. Toil, adherence to lines and lengths which honoured the pitch rather than complained about it and clever captaincy, saw the day end with Australia in charge after three days.

It was a pity for Shiv Chanderpaul, Narsingh Deonarine and to a lesser extent, Darren Bravo and Carlton Baugh, because they all competed hard to bring their side back on par against a relentless opponent. This Australian side under Clarke has become a ruthless unit, able to adapt to conditions and changes in match fortunes and never beaten until the last raise of the umpire's finger. So it proved today.

Chanderpaul made 94

An early start because of persistent showers on the first two days was delayed by twenty minutes when a power outage downed everything at the Queens Park Oval. Under direct pressure from Australia not to play until power was restored as the DRS would be out, the ICC, through their match officials, also came under pressure from the TV networks. Australia's concern should have been ignored as ICC protocols make provision for DRS not being available but the networks apparently held sway. However it fell, there was no play until the lights came on in the grandstands. Any attempt to make up time was further negated by rain after lunch and more overs were lost than gained. Bravo and Chanderpaul added 51 in 75 minutes to their brief overnight partnership. James Pattinson, Ben Hilfenhaus and Nathan Lyon were all punished for wayward deliveries. Lyon should have sent back Chanderpaul, an edge ricocheting from Matthew Wade's pads to Michael Clarke at slip but he couldn't hold it. With drinks looming, the Skipper, perhaps in atonement, pulled out one of those rabbits that all of the best captains have up their sleeve. For no apparent reason and with Shane Watson still waiting to bowl, he threw the ball instead to Mike Hussey who took four deliveries to trap Bravo in front with a pearler which pitched on leg. Hussey hasn't bowled such a ball in his career and won't again. Chanderpaul and his new partner Deonarine added a slow 32 in the next 75 minutes to lunch. The session belong to the West Indies.

Only 15 overs were possible in the second session but they belonged completely to the West Indians. They added 56 at nearly four an over, an unseen rate in this series. Chanderpaul was particularly severe on Pattinson, taking three fours of his eight ball seventh over and the big quick was soon shuffled back to the outfield. Clarke kept ringing the changes - a hallmark of his leadership in the field - including one over from Warner which was rubbish that Deonarine took out, sending him into the crowd at mid wicket. With things slightly unravelled and the lead falling into the low 100's, rain provided a saving grace for Clarke and a chance to regroup.

After half an hour of the last session, Clarke took the new ball. Pattinson was still bowling the wrong length and Billy McDermott was removing the last red threads from his hair. Hilfenhaus was taken to by Deonarine, who raised his half century. It was the sort of batting Ottis Gibson has been calling on from a man whose talent has underperformed in Tests, usually owing to rash strokes at inappropriate times. Watson replaced Pattinson and Lyon replaced Hilfenhaus, the new ball pair bowling only six overs between them.

All hell broke loose.

In the next hour, Lyon took five wickets and the West Indies were like an Arrowroot biscuit left too long in a hot cup of tea. They lost 5-19 to a combination of good bowling, bad batting and ordinary umpiring.

Deonarine went first, lunging forward at a lovely looping off break which swerved in and spun away, to give Wade the easiest stumping of his career. In Lyon's next over, he claimed Chanderpaul with a corker of a variation, an arm ball which zeroed in on off and middle when the dour left hander had expected it to bite and turn away. Chandepaul's 94 was his fifth in the nervous nineties but with 25 hundreds in 237 innings, his conversion rate is far better than most. That ugly stance is largely a habit, as he moves straight into line as the ball is bowled. Habits tend to stay and become exaggerated when players are successful. Ask Viv Richards why he twirled the bat and stamped the handle end onto the palm of his left hand. As Morne Morkel why he always stops two metres short of his marker, checks his field, turns to face the crowd and then walks a few steps towards them before wheeling on his mark and turning to bowl. Chanderpaul's front foot used to face midwicket but he needs more luck as he has aged and now the habit faces square leg.

Nathan Lyon took 5-16
off his last nine overs

Lyon ran through them. That batting sword Darren Sammy lives by killed him again, with a dreadfully unnecessary heave straight to Hussey at long on. Such things look far worse when you are the captain and although you can mount the argument that its how the man plays, leaders must be prepared to change. Shane Shillingford was out to a Jim Laker special, Lyon turning in, taking the inside edge and finding the safe hands of Ed Cowan at short leg. Kemar Roach can feel aggrieved however. He was given out, caught by Wade down the leg side, when neither Roach nor the Aussie keeper had any idea what the appeal was about. Without hotspot, its hard to be sure but old style slow motion replays weren't convincingly in support of the umpire's view. The batsmen had exhausted the DRS appeals, so the bowlers had to take their medicine.

In the end, the West Indies might have been happy if told the end of day score last night at stumps but disappointed to have collapsed so fully against the same bowlers who had appeared tame only minutes early.  James Pattinson had left the field during the collapse, injuring his lower back trying to pull off an impossible stoop, twist and throw when there was no need. If he is unable to bowl in the second innings, its hard to assess which team would be the most disadvantaged. He's a good bowler but his bowling has taken on too much of the bully boy and not enough adherence to that which made him a brilliant success in the summer which has so recently waned. A quiet word Mr Siddle, please. Mr Harris, not a word.

Clarke will be ecstatic. Nathan Lyon reaped just rewards but more importantly, Australia displayed that attribute of all the great sides: they flood through a breeched bank and inundate their opposition.

This match is not over yet but its hard to see the West Indies being capable of chasing even a meagre target on the last day.

Tragics Session Count: West Indies 3, Australia 6, Drawn 0