BRISBANE, CMC:
WEST INDIES medium pacer Corey Collymore downplayed his splendid performance on the opening day of the first Test between Australia and the West Indies at the Gabba yesterday.
The 27-year old grabbed four for 47 in 18 testing overs that put the brakes on Australia's progress but said afterward a greater effort was required from a team standpoint.
"The pitch was a bit hard to bowl on at first, but just after lunch it was a bit easier to bowl on. The ball was doing a bit," Collymore told Australian media.
"My performance was alright. But it's a team game and we need to work as a team some more.
"It's not a bad position that we're in but it could have been better. We really should have capitalised when we had them four down."
With Australia cruising at 101 for one after lunch, Collymore produced a burst of inspiring seam bowling that reduced the hosts to 111 for four in the space of 11 balls.
FAST BOWLING TRIO
While the trio of genuine quick bowlers in Jermaine Lawson, Daren Powell and Fidel Edwards proving ineffective, Collymore accounted for Matthew Hayden (37), Michael Clarke (five), Simon Katich (0) and Adam Gilchrist (44).
Collymore said he was looking forward to more success in his career despite suffering several injury setbacks.
"I've had a couple of injuries but I'm a strong-minded person and I'm still pretty young. I'm just looking to go forward and keep developing my cricket," Collymore said.
Meanwhile, Australia's skipper, Ricky Ponting, said: "We've probably got a decent first innings total already but hopefully we can start well tomorrow morning and push on towards 400."
"We just didn't get the really big partnership that we wanted," Ponting said.
"We lost a cluster of wickets in the middle, which is a bit of a worry, but hopefully those guys will get a chance to rectify that in the second innings."
Ponting survived two dropped catches and a run-out attempt to register his 24th Test hundred and join Greg Chappell in fourth place on Australia's list of century-makers.
He reached triple figures off 131 balls with a square cut off Chris Gayle that sped to the boundary rope.
"It was a strange innings for me. I felt like I started really well but I got worse as I went, which is a bit unusual in this game because it usually it goes the other way," Ponting said.
"But whenever you make a hundred it's important, especially when wickets are falling around you, so I was pleased to get there because it's put the team's in a good position," he said.
SCOREBOARD
Australia first innings
M. Hayden lbw Collymore 37
M. Hussey c Ramdin b Powell 1
R. Ponting c Sarwan b Lawson 149
M. Clarke c Ramdin b Collymore 5
S. Katich c Gayle b Collymore 0
A.Gilchrist lbw Collymore 44
S. Watson lbw Edwards 16
Shane Warne not out 31
Brett Lee not out 19
Extras: (19nb, 11lb, 4w, 4b) 38
TOTAL: (for seven wkts) 340
Overs: 85. Batting Time: 390 minutes.
Fall: 1-9, 2-101, 3-108, 4-111, 5-215, 6-273, 7-294.
Bowling: Fidel Edwards 17-0-77-1 (10nb, 2w), Daren Powell 14-0-65-1 (2nb, 2w), Corey Collymore 18-3-47-4, Jermaine Lawson 12-0-58-1 (7nb), Marlon Samuels 4-0-29-0, Chris Gayle 20-3-49-0.
