Ponting leads Australian charge

It was another hard day at the office for Brian Lara and his not-so-merry men, as Australia romped to 320 for the loss of only three wickets by the close of the first day's play in the third Test at Bridgetown. Ricky Ponting, with his third hundred in as many Tests, led the way as the Aussies made significant progress towards a victory that would win them back the ICC Test Championship mace.

Ricky Ponting drives on his way to his third century in as many Tests Photo © Getty Images

After 117 at Georgetown and a scintillating 206 at Port-of-Spain, Ponting made 113 here. He has toned down his attacking instincts a little - although he couldn't resist swivelling to smash a long-hop from Tino Best into the stands - and now looks the complete batsman. To this inexperienced West Indian attack, at any rate, his bat must look as broad as Bradman's, and his straight-drives are as succulent. Ponting cracked seven fours and that six in what was his 17th Test century.

Ponting had one let-off, at 88, when Shivnarine Chanderpaul dropped a straightforward head-high gully catch off a Best full-toss. But otherwise he was majestic, and faced 204 balls in exactly five hours at the crease before a misjudgment late in the day found him short of the crease as Best winged in a sidearm throw from third man (292 for 3).

Ponting put on 141 with Darren Lehmann, who added another big score to his own hundred in the previous Test. He reached 50 with his fifth four, punched through the covers off Omari Banks, the 20-year-old offspinner who today became the first Test cricketer to emerge from the tiny Leeward Island of Anguilla. Late on Lehmann played arguably the shot of the day, launching himself at a shortish one from Lawson and blasting it through the covers. He finished the day with 89, in sight of his second Test century.

Lara will now be regretting his decision to put Australia in on a sedate pitch that offered a little early movement. But it might have paid off: Justin Langer edged the first ball of the match, from Jermaine Lawson, through the slips. Ramnaresh Sarwan dived across from third slip, but couldn't latch on.

In fact Langer had a charmed life on his way to 78. He was dropped again at 4, when Lawson shelled a simple caught-and-bowled, and survived a run-out at 68 when Carlton Baugh fumbled Lawson's throw and demolished the stumps without ball in hand. That was it, though: in the next over Langer skyed Banks's loopy offspin to Chanderpaul at cover (151 for 2).

The only other wicket to go down was that of Matthew Hayden, who muscled to 27 before he edged an awayswinger in Vasbert Drakes's first over. Chris Gayle, restored to the side after missing two matches while the West Indian board ummed and aahed about his availability, clung on at first slip after a juggle (43 for 1).

That was the only breakthrough on a morning in which West Indies managed only 24 overs but conceded 113 runs. Best, complete with go-faster white stripes on his cheeks and a whirligig action, spent too much of his debut glaring and posturing and not enough time concentrating, while Lawson was also ragged. The bowlers did better after lunch, conceding only 84 in 29 overs up to tea. Banks, after a nervous start (his first over went for 10), settled down and hinted at a promising future. But overall it was tidy rather than threatening, and the one-wicket-a-session pattern continued after tea, even though Lara claimed the new ball as soon as Ponting was out.

West Indies made five changes from the team that lost in Port-of-Spain. Banks and Best (whose middle name, la Bertram, is one of Test cricket's more memorable monickers) won their first caps and Lawson returned after chickenpox, replacing Merv Dillon, Pedro Collins and David Bernard in a much-changed attack. Chanderpaul returned after injury and Gayle after his board-imposed exile, in place of Marlon Samuels and Wavell Hinds. Baugh retained the keeper's gloves after Ridley Jacobs failed a late fitness test on the leg injury he suffered in the first game of the series.

Australia made only one change, but it was a significant one: Glenn McGrath returned in place of Brad Hogg. It meant the Australian batting order, with Andy Bichel at No. 7, looked more fragile than usual - but Ponting made sure that that was just an illusion.