By the close of the first day of the second Cable and Wireless cricket Test at Queen’s Park Oval, Australia, powered by Lehmann’s career-best 160 and Ponting’s unbeaten 146, had raced to an already imposing 391 for three.

Trailing 1-0 in the four-match series and needing a victory to get back on level terms, the West Indies strangely opted for only Mervyn Dillon, Pedro Collins and Vasbert Drakes as their main weapons to dismiss Australia twice.

The defensive ploy backfired as none of the three or other back-ups, was armed with the necessary ammunition or firepower to force the Australian formidable batting fortress to retreat.

In fact, the West Indies were the ones wounded at stumps and at the point of surrendering against the all-conquering and battled-hardened warriors from ‘Down Under’.

The stocky and strong-shouldered Lehmann, with only two half-centuries to show in nine previous Tests after replacing Mark Waugh in the Australian line-up, fell just before the close after hammering 21 fours and a six off 229 balls in 312 minutes of solid batsmanship.

But the elegant and enterprising Ponting, given a life on 37 by Marlon Samuels at first slip off Dillon, and later on 122 by captain Brian Lara off Samuels, was still there, protecting the Australian citadel against short-staffed opponents.

Some 19 fours and a six were his main scoring strokes off 233 balls in his unconquered five-and-three-quarter hours responsible effort.

Ponting made the West Indies pay dearly with his 16th Test century, which was decorated with 16 fours in 230 minutes off 151 balls while Lehmann posted his first Test hundred in 225 minutes off 160 balls with 13 fours.

The pair joined forces with Australia on 56 for two, having lost openers Justin Langer (25) and Matthew Hayden (30) to Dillon in the first hour, and featured in an overall Australian record third-wicket partnership of 315 against the West Indies.

Throughout their five-hour alliance, Ponting and Lehmann scored at four runs an over, taking the total from 113 for two at lunch to 228 without further loss at tea as West Indies captain Brian Lara tried seven bowlers in an attempt to separate them.

Along the way, Ponting and Lehmann bettered Neil Harvey and Colin McDonald 1955 stand of 295 runs, which had stood as Australia’s best effort for the wicket.

Apart from the misses by Samuels and Lara, the closest the West Indies came to dismissing the pair was when debutant wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh’s back-hand flick, after collecting a high return from Dillon, missed the stumps with Ponting inches out of his ground.

The leaping Baugh also failed to hold onto a gloved hook from Lehmann off Dillon when the South Australian batsman was on 117 but the chances were few and far between the scintillating stroke-play by the two Aussies.

Earlier, Australia had made a fairly solid start after winning the toss and batting.

Langer, fresh from his man-of-the-match knocks of 146 and 78 not out at Bourda, again looked at ease as he took four fours off left-arm pacer Pedro Collins in the day’s sixth over.

Langer and Hayden were just one run short of a half-century partnership when Sri Lankan umpire Asoka de Silva, presented Dillon with the first of two dodgy leg-before-wicket decisions in consecutive overs.

Dillon, showing the enthusiasm lacking in the Guyana first Test, pinned Langer on the crease with a delivery pitching just outside leg stump and in his next over, Hayden, caught on the back foot, was another lbw victim to a ball of similar line.

But Ponting was quickly into his stride, pulling, on-driving and cutting Drakes for boundaries and caressing him a couple of times through the covers.

The 27-year-old Tasmanian then motored to his fifty off 60 balls with three fours -- a straight drive, a pull through square and an exquisite cover drive - in an over from newcomer David Bernard, to add to his previous six boundaries.

Ponting and Lehmann continued to make merry adding 115 runs off 26 overs in the two-hour post-lunch session.

After Drakes finally broke the partnership with the second new ball, wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist came in ahead of captain Steve Waugh and wasted little time in dispatching Samuels over mid-wicket for six and a four in reaching 14 not out at the close.

It was a day which the West Indies would want to forget as a whopping 50 fours and three sixes were struck from the 90 overs delivered.

The day did not start well for them either as just before the start of play, they suffered another setback when Shivnarine Chanderpaul was forced to withdraw from the side due to pain in his knee even though he was cleared to play and declared fit, a few days earlier.

This meant the retention of Samuels while debutants Bernard and Baugh were presented with their maiden Test cap, leaving Anguillan off-spinner Omari Banks and Barbadian paceman Tino Best to wait for theirs.

AUSTRALIA first innings
J.Langer lbw b Dillon 25

M.Hayden lbw b Dillon 30

R.Ponting not out 146

D.Lehmann c Baugh b Drakes 160

A. Gilchrist not out 14

Extras: (b-5, lb-1, w-2, nb-8) 16

Total: (for 3 wickets) 391

Fall of wickets: 1-49, 2-56, 3-371.