Bravo engineers collapse to give West Indies hope

Australia 520-7d & 137-8 West Indies 31

(GETTY IMAGES)

It was a third day of dramatic collapses in the third Test in Perth with Australia slumping to 137 for 8 in their second innings after bowling West Indies out for 312 to set up the game for either side to win.

The Windies looked out of the game when dismissed just after lunch, 208 behind Australia. But Sulieman Benn (2 for 26), Dwayne Bravo (3 for 34) and Kemar Roach (1 for 18) bowled them back into the match with the home side losing seven wickets for 68 runs as they established a lead of 345 at stumps.

The West Indies started the day on 214 for 2 in reply to Australia's 520 for 7 declared and had made steady progress to be 280 for 4 at lunch. But that was when the drama began. They lost six for 32 after the interval to miss the follow-on target. Their last four wickets fell for just two runs off 10 balls, as Doug Bollinger (5 for 70) and Nathan Hauritz (3 for 66) did the damage.

Australia elected to bat again and were moving on solidly with Michael Clarke and Shane Watson together after Simon Katich was out for 10. But the hosts then lost six wickets for 59 runs to slip to 125 for 7, with Ricky Ponting coming in at No 9 due to a tendon injury in his elbow.

Roach immediately came on to pepper him with short balls and after he got one hook shot away, he fended one straight to short leg to be out for two to leave Australia on 134 for 8.

Australia were looking comfortable even after Watson joined Katich back in the pavilion for 30 after Gavin Tonge trapped him in front for his first Test wicket. Clarke came in at No 3 in place of Ponting and he was caught behind for 25 to spark the dramatic collapse.

Benn came on for the first time to get Michael Hussey out for three, caught at short leg, and he continued to cause headaches as he found great turn and bounce. Marcus North made no impression either. He was dismissed when Bravo bowled a wicked delivery and wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin took an even better diving catch.

Benn then got revenge on Brad Haddin for Thursday's run-in, having him caught at slip for 23. It was a day of mixed fortunes for Benn who was banned for two one-day internationals by match referee Chris Broad for his role in the altercation.

Mitchell Johnson did not last much longer either as he became the third victim of Bravo in a 15-over spell when Johnson's former house-mate Brendan Nash took a good catch in the gully.

The West Indies did well to only lose Ramnaresh Sarwan (42) and Narsingh Deonarine (18) in the first session, but after lunch it all went wrong. Nash hit 44 before Clarke took a great catch at slip. Benn, Ravi Rampaul and Ramdin fell with the score on 310 before Bollinger had Tonge caught behind for two to claim his first five-wicket haul.