Australia continue fight for survival

Hodge and Symonds added 52 for the fifth wicket, after Australia crashed to 18 for 5, when nightwatchman Mitchell Johnson was caught behind off Daren Powell for four in the first over of the morning.

Ship steadied

Australia had continued from their bed time total of 17 for 4, and the early wicket would have been the right tonic for West Indies. But Symonds joined Hodge and they steadied the ship with circumspect batting punctuated with the odd boundary.

Symonds came close to being run out on 11 though, when Hodge failed to respond to his urgings for a second run. Fortunate for the Australian batsman, Powell8217;s throw to Denesh Ramdin was wide of the mark, and the West Indies wicketkeeper had too much work to do to complete the run out.

Just when it appeared that the two Australian batsmen were getting into the thick of things, Hodge was caught behind off Dwayne Bravo for 27 edging a well-pitched leg-cutter that Ramdin swooped low to clutch with his right hand.

Scoreboard

Australia, 1st innings: 431

West Indies, 1st innings: 312 in 106 overs D Smith 32, R Morton 67, S Chanderpaul 118, D Bravo 46, Lee 3/63, Clark 3/59.

Australia, 2nd innings: overnight 17/4 P Jaques c Ramdin b Edwards 4, S Katich lbw b Edwards 1, R Ponting c Bravo b Powell 5, M Hussey b Powell 1, M Johnson c Ramdin b Powell 4, B Hodge c Ramdin b Bravo 27, A Symonds batting 30, B Haddin batting 10; Extras b-2, lb-8, nb-1: 11

Total for 6 wickets, 34 overs: 93

FoW: 1-5, 2-10, 3-12, 4-12, 5-18, 6-70.

Bowling: Powell 12-5-20-3, Edwards 13-2-38-2, Bravo 8-1-22-1, Jaggernauth 1-0-3-0.