Cricket: Slater and Waugh put on fluent show to build lead

CRICKET: Pakistan 367 Australia 515-9

SHOAIB AKHTAR produced a four-wicket burst but was held up by Australian doggedness and inhospitable Brisbane weather as Michael Slater and Mark Waugh kept the home side in control of the first Test at the Gabba on the third day.

The fast bowler could not prevent the Australians building up a 148-run first-innings lead before a spectacular hailstorm ended play at 5.20pm with the hosts on 515 for 9.

Shoaib, taken apart by the Australians on Saturday, got his own back by capturing the wickets of the captain, Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Damien Fleming and Adam Gilchrist with an unplayable yorker.

However, fluent centuries by Slater and Mark Waugh, with a cameo innings from Gilchrist and Greg Blewett's 89, put Australia in charge. No sooner had Mark Waugh completed his 17th Test century than he edged the next ball from Mushtaq Ahmed to Wasim Akram at slip. Waugh stroked 17 boundaries in his 148-ball hundred to back up Slater, whose 351-minute vigil ended when he pulled Azhar Mahmood to Yousuf Youhana at midwicket after hitting 25 fours and a six.

Third day; Australia won toss

PAKISTAN - First Innings 367 (Saeed Anwar 61; Inzamam-ul-Haq 88; Yousef Youhana 95; Fleming 4-65).

AUSTRALIA - First Innings

(Overnight: 233 for 0)

M J Slater c Youhana b Mahmood 169

G S Blewett lbw b MAhmed 89

J L Langer c Razzaq b Ahmed 1

M E Waugh c Akram b Ahmed 100

*S R Waugh c Khan bAkhtar 1

R T Ponting lbw b Akhtar 0

A C Gilchrist b Akhtar 81

S K Warne not out 34

D W Fleming lbw b Akhtar 0

G D McGrath c Youhana b Akram 1

S A Muller not out 1

Extras (2b, 11lb, 25nb) 38

Total (for 9, 130.5 overs) 515

Fall: 1-269 2-272 3-311 4-328 5-342 6-465 7-485 8-486 9-489.

Bowling (to date): Wasim Akram 27-5-74-1; Shoaib Akhtar 29.5-2-138-4; Abdul Razzaq 17-3-66-0; Azhar Mahmmod 19-2-52-1; Mushtaq Ahmed 36-3-164- 3; Ijaz Ahmed 2-0-8-0.

Umpires: D J Harper and E A Nicholls.