Chanderpaul rallies Windies but Lyon triggers late slide

Port of Spain (Trinidad), April 18 (IANS/CMC) A record fifth-wicket stand between veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Narsingh Deonarine almost put the West Indies in charge of the second Test but the hosts lost five wickets for 19 runs late in the evening to surrender the advantage to Australia.

Chanderpaul fashioned a brilliant 94 while Deonarine scored 55 as the West Indies finished the rain-hit third day Tuesday at Queen's Park Oval on 252 for nine, still 59 runs short of Australia's first innings 311.

Overtaking that target seemed a reality, when the two Guyanese left-handers combined in a stand of 130 runs, a record against the Aussies at the ground.

Chanderpaul faced 217 balls and hit 10 fours and a six while Deonarine lasted 139 balls and struck seven fours and a six.

Once both departed in the space of 17 balls in the last session, the innings collapsed under off-spinner Nathan Lyon's five-wicket haul, to leave the Windies chasing the game again.

At the close, wicketkeeper/batsman Carlton Baugh was unbeaten on 17 and was accompanied by Fidel Edwards, who is yet to score.

Resuming at a precarious 49 for three, the Windies lost just one wicket in the first session when stylish left-hander Darren Bravo was palpably lbw to part-time seamer Mike Hussey for 38.

Hussey's introduction saw his downfall, however, as he missed a straight ball in the right-armer's second over and departed, but not before futilely consulting the third umpire.

Chanderpaul and Deonarine, both left-handers, set about repairing the innings with calm heads but capitalising on the limited scoring opportunities before lunch.

Chanderpaul, meanwhile, dropped at slip by captain Michael Clarke off Lyon on six at 61 for three, pressed on unperturbed to reach 45 at lunch.

Both batsmen accelerated after the break, with Chanderpaul gathering three boundaries off the second over of James Pattinson which cost 16.

Deonarine joined in, smacking part-time leg-spinner David Warner over mid-wicket for six and driving Pattinson through cover for four, a stroke that raised his third half-century in Tests.

He was seemingly set when he was deceived in flight by Lyon and stumped at 230 for five and with just one run added, Chanderpaul pushed forward to Lyon in the spinner's next over and was adjudged lbw.

Wickets then tumbled as captain Darren Sammy holed out to Hussey at long on for one, Shane Shillingford was taken at short leg by Ed Cowan for four and Kemar Roach was given out caught down the leg-side without scoring moments later.

Some 132 minutes were lost in the day to rain, with nearly two hours lost after lunch.

--IANS/CMC

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