Australia's captain Ricky Ponting (right) drives, forcing West Indies fielder Xavier Marshall to take evasive action on the first day of the second Test at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua yesterday. Ponting made 65 in his team's score of 259 for three. - Dellmar photo
ST JOHN'S, Antigua (CMC):
Australian captain Ricky Ponting scaled the rarefied summit of 10,000 runs and Simon Katich grounded his way to an unbeaten century, as the visitors capitalised on a sterile pitch to dominate the opening day of the second Digicel Test against West Indies yesterday.
Ponting's 65 ensured he reached his landmark, while Katich finished unbeaten on 113, to lift the Aussies to 259 for three at stumps.
A disappointingly small crowd, dominated by Australian tourists, contributed to the almost complete lack of atmosphere for the first day of Test cricket at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, the venue some four miles east of the Antiguan capital that was built for last year's World Cup.
It became the 11th venue in the region and the 98th worldwide to host Test matches.
Reached 10,000 runs
Never one to be distracted by peripheral matters, Ponting became the seventh batsman and third Australian after former captains Allan Border and Steve Waugh to reach 10,000 runs when he stroked West Indian counterpart Ram-naresh Sarwan for two through midwicket just after tea.
It took his score on the day to 61 and triggered one of the few periods of sustained applause, especially from his fellow countrymen in the ground, on a day of generally tedious cricket.
A second 100 of the series seemed his for the taking but a lapse in concentration by the compact right-hander saw him edging an attempted drive at Jerome Taylor for Xavier Marshall to snare a sharp catch at second slip and send the skipper back to the pavilion.
He batted 192 minutes, faced 123 balls and struck five fours in a 136-run second-wicket partnership with Katich. Katich's effort, his third Test hundred and first since getting past three figures against New Zealand in Christchurch more than three years ago, was typically workmanlike and not without a generous slice of luck.
On 90, he slashed a wide delivery from Fidel Edwards unerringly to Runako Morton at point where the usually peerless fielder dropped a straightforward catch.
AUSTRALIA 1st Innings
| P Jaques lbw b Bravo | 17 |
| S Katich not out | 113 |
| R Ponting c Marshall b Taylor | 65 |
| M Hussey c C'paul b Sammy | 10 |
| M Clarke not out | 38 |
| Extras: (lb4, w5, nb7) | 16 |
| TOTAL (3 wkts, 82 overs) | 259 |
|
To bat: A Symonds, B Haddin, B Lee, M Johnson, S Clark, S MacGill
Fall of wickets: 1-36 (Jaques), 2-172 (Ponting), 3-199 (Hussey).
Bowling: Powell 17-3-54-0, Edwards 18-3-55-0, Taylor 15-3-43-1, Bravo 15-1-56-1, Sammy 12-1-31-1, Sarwan 5-0-16-0.
WEST INDIES - R Sarwan (captain), D Smith, X Marshall, R Sarwan, R Morton, S Chanderpaul, D Bravo, D Ramdin, D Sammy, D Powell, F Edwards, J Taylor.
Toss: Australia.
Umpires: Mark Benson, Russell Tiffin; TV - Norman Malcolm.
