Clarke puts Australia in command of 2nd Test
Michael Clarke scored a elegant 110 and then picked up two top order wickets as Australia ended the second day of the second Test against West Indies on Saturday with a 354-run first innings lead.
Clarke’s classy innings guided Australia to a dictatorial 479 for seven declared and he then halted a spirited reply from hosts by claiming the wickets of Xavier Marshall (53) and Runako Morton (2) as the Caribbean ended the day on 125 for three.
The Australian vice-captain had missed the first Test victory in Kingston due to the death of his fiancée’s father and he had not played cricket for over two months.
But Clarke returned in the final hour to snare the scalps of opener Xavier Marshall and Runako Morton to leave the hosts wobbling on 125 for three when stumps were drawn.
Clarke had an outstanding bowling spell with two wickets for seven runs of his seven overs. However, for sometime the Aussies were put on the back foot when Marshall and fellow opener Devon Smith added 55 for the first wicket.
But Mitchell Johnson made the breakthrough, when Smith was caught at square cover for 16, cutting hard at a short and wide delivery, but straight to the perfectly positioned Andrew Symonds, who nonchalantly gobbled the ball over his head. Australia continued to bleed runs, and Marshall coasted to his half century, reaching the landmark when he swung a full toss from leg-spinner Stuart McGill to the fielder on the mid-wicket boundary for a single.
Skipper Ricky Ponting turned to Clarke for a bit of inspiration, and he deceived Marshall leaving a straight ball which rapped him on the pads in front of the wicket.
Caribbean captain Ramnaresh Sarwan (32) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (5) carried the home team through until the close.
Ricky Ponting’s decision to declare was a positive move with the Australian skipper clearly wanting to get into the West Indies top order but on an easy track his team could have made plenty more runs with Brett Lee smashing an unbeaten 63 before Ponting called the innings to halt during tea.
It was yet another discouraging day for West Indies after, with Australia resuming on 259 for three, they got the start they needed with two early wickets but they failed then to get into the tourists’ middle order.
Clarke’s hundred followed a similar resolute innings of 113 from opener Simon Katich who had dominated the opening day.
Clarke spent close to four hours 45 minutes at the crease. He shared 72 for the fourth wicket with Katich, added 64 for the sixth wicket with Brad Haddin, and 54 for the seventh wicket with Brett Lee before he was caught at forward square leg off Powell, when he miscued a hook at a short and rising delivery.
Opener Simon Katich, a century-maker on Friday, was unable to add to his 113 flicking a leg-side delivery from Jerome Taylor to Ramdin.
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