Agencies: BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Despite A valiant half-century from ever-reliable Shivnarine Chandxerpaul, Australia claimed a handy first innings lead over the West Indies on the second day of the third and final Digicel Test at Kensington Oval, yesterday.

The tourists' first innings was wrapped up for 251 yesterday morning but any hopes of the Windies overhauling the total were snuffed out by the loss of three quick wickets before lunch and the now patented tail-end collapse which left Chanderpaul stranded on 79 and the hosts all out for 216, 35 behind the Australians.

When the visitors took to the crease for their second innings, they advanced untroubled to 35 without loss with Simon Katich on 17 and Phil Jaques 13 for an overall lead of 70.

"I think the game is evenly poised," West Indies coach John Dyson said after the day's play. "I don't think our batsmen threw it away, but we are very disappointed with the batting performance," he said.

"What we would like to do is get more runs on the board - we are not converting 20s and 30s often enough. I score the game as even. There are three days of cricket left, the wicket is now a very good batting wicket, we are going to have to bowl exceptionally well and then bat exceptionally well in the final innings. It will be an interesting game from here on in," he said of his side's hopes of evening the series 1-1.

Action started half an hour early yesterday due to rain forcing an early close to the opening day's play. Despite a storm overnight, the ground drained well and was in fine nick for the opening ball.

The same could not be said for the Australian lower-order batsman as they could only advance the overnight score of 226 for seven to 251 before they were all back in the Garfield Sobers Pavilion.

Test debutant Beau Casson was trapped leg before by Fidel Edwards for 10, Mitchell Johnson was caught at gully by Sulieman Benn off Jerome Taylor without bothering the scorer and Stuart Clark was bowled all ends up by Edwards for one. Brett Lee remained undefeated on 23.

Seamers Edwards, Taylor and Dwayne Bravo finished with three wickets apiece.

Having achieved target No.1 of wrapping up the tail early, the Windies set about reeling in the target, but Lee, Clark and some sharp Australian fielding soon scuttled that plan.

In the hour-and-a-half they had to see out before lunch, the hosts lost returning openers Sewnarine Chattergoon and skipper Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan.

Chattergoon (six) was the first to go, nibbling at a Lee delivery outside off stump and feathering an edge to 'keeper Brad Haddin with the score on 11.

Gayle, in typical cavalier fashion, smacked three boundaries before driving Lee to mid-off where he was superbly caught by a diving Casson for 14.

Sarwan, another man in a hurry on a pitch which slowed down some from its opening day's pace and bounce, reached 20 off only 25 balls before driving uppishly at Clark and being brilliantly caught by Michael Hussey at gully.

At 64-3, it was up to young Jamaican batsman Xavier Marshall and Chanderpaul to right the ship.

Inexplicably loose shot -

While the Guyanese lefthander was his typical resolute self, Marshall looked as good as any batsman at the Kensington Oval crease as he drove with accuracy and timing. He received a rap on the helmet from Lee but then drove the same bowler beautifully through covers two overs later to bring up the West Indian 100.

However, just when he looked set to bloom, Marshall played an inexplicably loose shot off medium pacer Andrew Symonds and was caught at mid-wicket by Casson. His unfulfilled innings of 39 included six boundaries.

Struggling with the bat, all-rounder Bravo joined Chanderpaul at 108-4.

Bravo spent the break in the nets but it did him little good as, soon after the resumption, he edged a leg-side catch to Haddin off Johnson. Bravo, like Marshall, promised much more than he delivered with his 29 and that wicket - at 168, set about a precipitous collapse as the last five wickets fell for 48 runs.

B. Casson lbw b Edwards 10

B. Lee not out 23

M. Johnson c Benn b Taylor 0

S. Clark b Edwards 1

Extras (lb7, w21, nb8) 36

Fall of wickets: 1-46, 2-75, 3-96, 4-96, 5-111, 6-198, 7-213, 8-244, 9-245, 10-251.

Bowling: Powell 11-5-43-0, Edwards 17-4-55-3 (w3, nb2), Taylor 12-2-46-3 (w2), Gayle 7-2-6-0, Bravo 15-5-61-3 (nb3), Benn 6-0-33-1.

C. Gayle c Casson b Lee 14

S. Chattergoon c wk Haddin b Lee 6

R. Sarwan c Hussey b Clark 20

X. Marshall c Casson b Symonds 39

S. Chanderpaul not out 79

D. Bravo c wk Haddin b Johnson 29

D. Ramdin c Clarke b Johnson 1

J. Taylor c Katich b Clarke 0

S. Benn c wk Haddin b Johnson 3

D. Powell c wk Haddin b Lee 9

F. Edwards c Ponting b Johnson 1

Extras (lb7, nb8) 15

Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-26, 3-64, 4-108, 5-168, 6-188, 7-189, 8-204, 9-204, 10-216.

Bowling: Lee 15-2-64-3 (nb5), Clark 15-4-41-1 (nb1), Johnson 11.5-3-41-4 (nb2), Symonds 8-4-17-1, Casson 7-1-43-0, Clarke 2-0-3-1.

P. Jaques not out 13

S. Katich not out 17

Extras (b2, lb1, nb2) 5

Bowling: Powell 4-3-6-0, Edwards 4-1-13-0, Taylor 3-2-7-0, Gayle 2-1-1-0, Benn 1-0-5-0.

Umpires: Mark Benson, Aleem Dar. TV replays: Goaland Greaves.