It was absorbing, it ebbed and flowed and it produced the hero all Dominica wanted.
But again, lower order Australian resistance denied the West Indies the advantage on the opening day of the third and final Digicel Test match.
Shane Shillingford’s entire family was at Windsor Park to see him reduce Australia to 169 for seven in the final session. But Matthew Wade (22) and Mitchell Starc (24), surviving the second new ball, stopped the party with an unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 43 as Australia closed on 212 for seven.
That represents a definite recovery on a pitch that is proving to be something of a challenge for free scorers. Opener David Warner took over three hours to get the only half century so far in the match.
“Anything under 250, I think is comfortable for the whole team that we could chase those runs and put up a presentable lead,” reckoned Shillingford after what he described as his “best day” of Test cricket.
Getting bounce and, especially, turn that surprised even him, Shillingford so far has figures of 34-8-77-4.
“When I started getting that [bounce and spin], I just knew the length and the line I had to hit,” he said.
Shillingford aside, however, it was also the collective effort of the Windies bowlers which made for a gripping day.
Ravi Rampaul, brought into the side to replace the injured Fidel Edwards, set the right tone with a wicket with his second ball of the series, after Aussie skipper Michael Clarke won the toss.
It was a complete misjudgement by Ed Cowan, who chose to leave a ball that pitched on off stump, giving umpire Tony Hill an easy lbw decision.
It was as if Rampaul had never been away. And it could have been even better for him had captain Darren Sammy been able to hold the chance Warner (50, 136 balls, six fours), then on five, offered in Rampaul’s fourth over as he snicked a delivery which drew him forward.
Overall, however, Rampaul and second Test star Kemar Roach did not make full use of the new ball on a pitch offering some seam movement early on. But it was never easy for the batsmen.
Australia were solid rather than in control, when Warner and Shane Watson went to lunch on 69 for one.
The second session made for even slower scoring, with Shillingford, supported by men around the bat, leading the war of attrition. One of those fielders, Kraigg Brathwaite at silly point, missed Watson at 35, as he gloved an attempt to turn Shillingford to leg.
The miss would only cost six runs, however, as with the total on 84, Watson (41), fell into the hook shot trap, and deposited Sammy straight to Narsingh Deonarine at deep midwicket.
At 84 for two, the pace of scoring was un-Australian. It was going to be a question of who would crack first. It proved to be Warner.
Having disciplined himself after that early let-off and fought the urge to cut loose, Warner became Shillingford’s first victim when he loosely cut and offered Kieran Powell at cover a simple catch.
Skipper Clarke and Ricky Ponting now found themselves having to build again. They were still together at tea (136 for three). But in the last session, it became the Shillingford show.
Batsman after batsman struggled to cope with the good length he bowled and the bounce the six-footer extracted.
