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Benn gives Windies the lead

Australian batsmen fail to capitalise on starts

ADELAIDE: Left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn’s five-wicket haul gave West Indies a slender lead over Australia on the third day of the second Test at the Adelaide Oval on Sunday. The Caribbeans dismissed Australia for 439 and were going steady on 23 for no loss, a cumulative lead of 35 runs, at close of play.

It was Brisbane all over again for Australia as its batsmen failed to convert their starts into bigger scores. The host began horrifically, losing both openers to Benn with the addition of just 19 runs. Shane Watson, resuming on 96, tried to pull the second ball of the day to midwicket but missed it altogether to be bowled. Simon Katich followed 19 runs later, inside-edging the Barbadian to close-in catcher Adrian Barath.

Skipper Ricky Ponting hung around for 81 minutes for his 36 before he miscued a pull off fast bowler Kemar Roach straight to Dwayne Bravo at midwicket. The two Michaels, Hussey and Clarke, looked sound in a 79-run partnership for the fourth wicket, but Roach produced a beauty that angled away from Hussey, inducing the outside edge.

Benn, who had continued relentlessly from the other end, then took out Marcus North and Clarke in quick succession, the latter when he looked set for a big innings. The spinner’s fifth wicket arrived in the form of Peter Siddle, who edged to Bravo at gully. Wicketkeeper-batsman Brad Haddin ran out of partners when he had scored 55.

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