ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – Veteran left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul surpassed 10 000 runs in Tests but was one of two key wickets to fall in the last half-hour, leaving West Indies with a herculean task of beating Australia in the third and final Test here yesterday.
The unflappable Guyanese reached the landmark en route to a top score of 69 as West Indies, chasing an imposing 370 for victory, finished the fourth day at Windsor Park on 173 for five.
When he moved to 14 by clipping left-arm spinner Michael Clarke through mid-wicket for a single – a stroke that has typified his 140-match career – he became only the tenth batsman overall and the second West Indian to achieve the milestone.
He now has 10055 runs, now only behind the mercurial Brian Lara who has 11 953 runs.
Chanderpaul and Darren Bravo, who stroked 45, had offered West Indies a glimmer of hope when they engaged in an entertaining 110-run stand for the fourth wicket, after West Indies seemed on the brink of implosion at 45 for three.
But Bravo edged medium pacer Shane Watson behind half-hour before the close and Chanderpaul perished in the last over of the day, lbw to Clarke on review, to leave the Windies with a near impossible task of getting the remaining 197 runs on the final day Friday.
Narsingh Deonarine was unbeaten on 11 at the close.
Earlier, off-spinner Shane Shillingford finished with a 10-wicket match haul as Australia were dismissed for 259 after resuming the day on 200 for six.
Left-hander Mike Hussey carried his overnight 17 to 32 while Mitchell Starc struck 21, as the Aussies added 59 in 20 overs before the innings ended 35 minutes before lunch.
Shillingford, following a six-wicket first innings haul, picked up two of the four wickets to fall to end with figures of ten for 219.
Australia added 20 runs before losing Hussey, caught low down at slip by captain Darren Sammy off Shillingford, in the seventh over of the day.
Ryan Harris followed 17 balls later, top-edging a sweep at off-spinner Narsingh Deonarine (3-45) for wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh to take an easy catch in front of the wicket.
Hilfenhaus then lasted all of five balls before he was brilliantly taken at silly mid-off by a diving Brathwaite for six, at 237 for nine.
Starc struck a few lusty blows – two fours and a straight six off Shillingford – as he added 22 with Nathan Lyon (12 not out) for the last wicket.
Fast bowler Kemar Roach (3-40) ended the resistance, however, beating Starc’s defensive prod and hitting the top of off-stump.
In the seven overs before lunch, West Indies lost Adrian Barath without scoring in third over of the innings, brilliantly caught by a diving Ed Cowan at square leg off right-arm seamer Ben Hilfenhaus, to go to the interval at two for one.
Afterward, the Windies suffered two more blows as opener Kraigg Brathwaite (14) and Kieran Powell (24) departed during the post lunch