The Aussies however remained in control of the three-day encounter, entering the final day, at the Everest Cricket Club ground, with an overall lead 425 with two second-innings wickets remaining.

Shuffling the batting order to allow their middle and lower-order to get in some much needed batting practice ahead of the first Cable & Wireless Test versus the West Indies, starting at Bourda on Thursday, the move did not pay the dividends the visitors were hoping for.

Apart from Martin Love who was undefeated on 55 when stumps were drawn and Darren Lehmann, who followed up his first innings 44 not out with 42, the rest of the batting failed to prosper as fast bowler Adam Sanford (two for 19) left-arm spinner Dave Mohamed (two for 45) Omari Banks (two for 62) bowled well under the circumstances.

The elegant Love, who also hit a half-century in the first innings while batting at number three, came in at number six in the second and has so far struck five fours in 135 minutes off 105 balls while Lehmann’s 42 included three fours in 109 minutes off 89 balls.

Robust wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, who did not bat in the first innings, failed to get cracking in the second after smashing Sanford for two consecutive fours. First innings centurion Matthew Hayden did not bat in yesterday’s second innings although the visitors lost eight wickets.

Like they did on the second day, the Australians are expected to declare at the start of the final day, setting the Carib Beer XI the monumental task of scoring 426 runs for victory.

Opener Imran Jan was earlier the star of the Carib Beer XI, batting through the entire innings to end on 42 not out while left-arm spinner Brad Hogg, who mesmerised the lower-order, grabbed four for 23 from 6.3 overs.

The home team started disastrously when first Test call-up Devon Smith edged fast bowler Jason Gillespie to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist in the third over of the day to record his third consecutive ‘duck’ in as many innings, following a ‘pair’ against Guyana in a seventh round Carib Beer Series fixture, played at the Albion Community Development Centre ground in Guyana.

Wickets fell like ninepins after, with only Jan and another Test hopeful, wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh showing any resistance, albeit in contrasting fashions.

Fast bowler Andy Bichel struck a double blow with the score on 17 when skipper Sylvester Joseph (six) fiddled at a delivery outside the off-stump, offering Gilchrist a straightforward catch while Dwayne Bravo (0), edged the first delivery he received into the safe hands of the Australian wicketkeeper.

Narsingh Deonarine averted the hat-trick and looked to be in good nick, smashing leg-spinner MacGill one bounce straight for four and expertly cover-driving the next delivery for another boundary. MacGill however had the last laugh, when the left-hander, in attempting a sweep off the next ball, top-edged a catch to a diving Gilchrist for his fourth catch of the innings.

Aneil Kanhai promised much, getting off the mark with a square-driven boundary off MacGill but then lifted the same bowler straight to Justin Langer at mid-on at 47 for five.

Omari Banks, who surprisingly came ahead of Baugh, also opened his account with a four through midwicket off fast bowler Ashley Noffke while Jan, who looked on helplessly as wickets fell around him, punished the same bowler with successive boundaries, the first an exquisite on-drive and the other an elegant push through mid-on.

The pair added 29 before Banks (14), playing back to Hogg was palpably lbw at 76 for six.

Baugh, who got off the mark with a ‘double’ off Hogg, made known his intentions after, hoisting MacGill over long-on for his first of three sixes and savagely square-cutting him the next delivery for four.

Taking a special liking for MacGill, Baugh then tore into the leg-spinner, smashing him for 16 in the next over, including six, four and six off consecutive deliveries, and went to lunch on 26 not out while Jan was undefeated on 37 and the Carib Beer XI 109 for six.

The diminutive Baugh started out in the same vein after the interval, pulling Hogg over square leg for six but was undone the next ball. Hitting against the spin, he spooned an easy catch to MacGill in the covers to depart for a cameo 32 which included three fours and three sixes in 18 minutes off 17 balls.

Dave Mohamed followed the trend by getting off the mark with a four then skied Gillespie to deep cover where Hogg clutched a simple catch.

Hogg then polished off the innings with successive deliveries, Marlon Black (0), going caught at backward point by Langer and Adam Sanford (0) trapped lbw.

Bichel ended with two for 10 from six overs, Gillespie two for 13 from nine and MacGill two for 49 from eight.

AUSTRALIA first innings 377 for three declared (S. Waugh 106 not out, M. Hayden 102, J. Langer 60, M. Love 56, D. Lehmann 44 not out; D. Mohamed two for 107)

CARIB Beer XI first innings

D. Smith c wkpr Gilchrist b Gillespie 0
I. Jan not out 42
S. Joseph c wkpr Gilchrist b Bichel 6
D. Bravo c wkpr Gilchrist b Bichel 0
N. Deonarine c wkpr Gilchrist b MacGill 13
A. Kanhai c Langer b MacGill 4
O. Banks lbw Hogg 14
C. Baugh c MacGill b Hogg 32
D. Mohamed c Hogg b Gillespie 8
M. Black c Langer b Hogg 0
A. Sanford lbw Hogg 0
Extras: (b-8, lb-5) 13
Total: (all out, 35.3 overs) 132
Fall of wickets: 2, 17, 17, 35, 47, 76, 117, 128, 132, 132.
Bowling: Gillespie 9-2-13-2, Bichel 6-2-10-2, Noffke 6-1-24-0, MacGill 8-1-49-2, Hogg 6.3-1-23-4.