Ponting's lone-hand century as West Indies take it to Aussies

Skipper Ricky Ponting scored his fourth century in four Tests against the West Indies to play a lone hand as Australia struggled against the tourists in the first Test at the Gabba here on Thursday.
Ponting claimed his 24th century in his 95th Test - his fourth in consecutive Tests against the West Indies - to be the hero with 149 as the Australian batting line-up spluttered after being sent in.
Barbados paceman Corey Collymore triggered a middle-order collapse, claiming 3-2 in 11 balls and it was left to Ponting to pick up the pieces as Australia reached stumps at 340 for seven on the opening day.
Shane Warne was unbeaten on 31 with Brett Lee on 19.
The skipper, leading from the front, was out in the 74th over, plucked at mid-wicket by Ramnaresh Sarwan off Jermaine Lawson. His 149 came off 213 balls with 15 boundaries.
Ponting, who scored hundreds in his last three Tests on the last Caribbean tour in 2003, only offered one chance in a muffed caught-and-bowled effort by spinner Chris Gayle on 141.
In the process Ponting became the fourth-highest Australian scorer in Test cricket with 7,558 runs behind Allan Border (11,174), Steve Waugh (10,927) and Mark Waugh (8,029).
Only seven batsmen in Tests have scored more centuries than Ponting, led by Indians Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar with 34.
Collymore, playing in his 17th Test since his debut against Australia in Antigua in 1999, was by far the pick of the West Indies ' bowlers, troubling the Australians with his swing and movement off the pitch.
He rewarded skipper Shivnarine Chanderpaul's decision to send Australia into bat with three wickets in the half-hour after lunch.
In contrast, front-line bowlers Fidel Edwards (one for 77 off 17 overs) and Lawson (one for 58 off 12 overs), who were both rested from the tourists' only warm-up match, looked under-done and struggled for bowling rhythm.
The West Indies maintained their focus and discipline throughout the day, instilled by new Australian coach Bennett King, with players, all wearing their maroon caps in solidarity, regularly urging each other on.
Ponting saw three batting partners come and go after lunch as Collymore reduced the Australians to 111 for four from 95 for one at lunch.
Ponting and Adam Gilchrist put on 104 for the sixth wicket after Matthew Hayden (37), Michael Clarke (5) and Simon Katich (0) went in quick procession to Collymore's movement.
Gilchrist perished in the first over after tea when he was trapped lbw by Collymore for 44 for his fourth wicket of the innings.
Shane Watson, struggling to nail down the all-rounder's role, toiled 71 minutes for 16 and put on 58 with Ponting, before he was lbw to Edwards.
Chanderpaul's toss decision looked to have backfired at lunch with just the return of Test debutant Mike Hussey's wicket, but Collymore put the skids under the inexperienced middle-order.
Hayden, dropped on 14, was leg before wicket in Collymore's eighth over.
Clarke's batting travails at No 4 continued when he edged a leg-cutter and was snapped up by wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin. On the second ball of Collymore's next over Katich probed to Gayle at first slip for a three-ball duck.
Hussey took 13 balls to get his first Test run but then played a rash cross-bat shot at the first ball he faced from Powell and top-edged to Ramdin for one.
Chanderpaul became the fourth West Indian captain to win the toss and send Australia in to bat first at the Gabba - on the other three occasions only Clive Lloyd's team won here by eight wickets in 1984.
The West Indies are the last touring team to beat Australia at the Gabba back in 1988.
SCOREBOARD:
AUSTRALIA 1ST INNINGS:

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M. Hayden lbw b 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 b Collymore                44

S. Watson lbw b Edwards                     16

S. Warne not out                            31

B. Lee not out                              19

Extras: (B-4, LB-11, W-4, NB-19)            38

Total: (7 wkts, 85 overs)                  340

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