But at the close, the West Indies were 47 from two, losing opener Chris Gayle, comprehensively bowled by Glenn McGrath for a second-ball duck and Daren Ganga, out for six to an ill-advised hook off an innocuous leg-side bouncer from Andy Bichel.

Devon Smith is unbeaten on 21, alongside night watchman Vasbert Drakes on 12 as the West Indies made a pleasing start towards preventing Australia, who lead the series 3-0, from becoming the first visiting team in 75 years to inflict a whitewash on Caribbean soil.

Lawson, a strongly built 21-year-old with the speed and stamina that are key ingredients in the art of fast bowling, was the inspiration as the West Indies produced their best bowling performance of the series.

His hostile deliveries which were constantly sent down at 90 miles per hour on a pitch with good carry and bounce unlike the Kensington Oval graveyard, camouflaged a series of fielding blemishes by the West Indians, who spilled at least four clear-cut chances and a couple of half-chances.

In the process, Lawson became the first bowler to taken seven wickets in an innings in the 18 Tests played at the ARG, which has been a haven for batsmen with Brian Lara’s record 375, and Sir Vivian Richards’ 56-ball century standing out as two of the batting highlights.

Lawson not only bettered the six-wicket efforts of compatriot Courtney Walsh, Pakistani Wasim Akram and Guyanese Colin Croft but also joined Curtly Ambrose, Andy Roberts and Gerry Gomez as the West Indians who have taken seven-wicket Test innings hauls against Australia.

Lawson received admirable support from the returning Mervyn Dillon, who started the post-tea slide with the wickets of Australia’s captain Steve Waugh, who made a typically gutsy 41 and wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist (33) in successive overs.

Lanky off-spinner Omari Banks, after his debut Test baptism in Barbados when he was flayed for 200 runs, also played a great supporting role, tossing his off-breaks for 20 overs and conceding 62 runs while claiming the wicket of Martin Love for a gutsy 36.

It was by far the West Indies’ best bowling performance of the series in which the Australian batsmen have amassed totals of 489 and 147-1 in Guyana, 576-4 declared and 238-3 declared in Trinidad and Tobago and 605-9 declared in Barbados.

Unlike the first three Tests, the West Indies played with pride, purpose and passion, qualities that had only been evident in patches during the successive heavy defeats.

After Australia’s captain Steve Waugh won the toss and predictably batted, the West Indies put the Australians, who were without their unwell, in-form vice-captain Ricky Ponting under early pressure and sustained throughout the 72.1 overs they bowled.

The West Indian bowlers pegged back Australia’s progress by removing openers Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer in an 87-run pre-lunch session and added the scalps of Darren Lehmann and Love while a further 88 runs were added off 28 overs before tea.

Lawson, who took a hat-trick in the last Test in Barbados and had previous best career figures of six for three against Bangladesh, was the catalyst for the West Indies’ improved display with the first three wickets.

He fired out Hayden for 14 in the sixth over with the score on 28 for one when the batsman miscued a pull and was easily caught by Drakes at mid-on.

He then returned for a second spell, after switching ends, to account for Langer, whose top score of 42, included six fours off 74 balls in 111 minutes.

Langer, dropped on 14 by Chris Gayle at first slip off Dillon, once again perished to the cut shot with Banks taking a smart ankle-high catch at cover point.

Resuming from 87 for two at lunch, Australia suffered an immediate setback in the second over when Lehmann (7) edged a lifting delivery from Lawson into wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs’ gloves.

The Aussies slipped into further trouble as Banks was finally rewarded for sensible middle and leg-stump bowling when Love pushed forward uncertainly and the ball, after hitting the bottom of his bat, rolled back onto the stumps.

Waugh and Gilchrist then revived the innings by featuring in an unbroken 48-run fifth-wicket partnership, which took the total to 176 for four at tea.

But on resumption, Australia lost their last six wickets for 65 runs in 19.1 overs as they received a dose of the type of fast-bowling medicine that they have been meting out to opposing batsmen.

The Aussies' slump started with the key dismissals of Waugh and Gilchrist, both falling to Dillon.

Returning to the team after his one-match shake-up, Dillon persuaded Indian umpire Venkat to belatedly uphold a confident appeal for a catch behind by Jacobs after Waugh had gotten a faint edge to a probing outswinger.

In his next over, a pumped-up Dillon produced a rising delivery, which Gilchrist tried to pull, but only succeeded in providing Chanderpaul with a simple catch at short mid-wicket.

It was left to the bowlers to carry Australia to a respectable total and only Bichel, with a cameo 34, studded by seven fours off just 39 deliveries, looked the part before he cut a short ball from Lawson to point where substitute Marlon Samuels held a stinging catch.

Bichel, who had twice struck Banks for a brace of fours in separate overs, had been dropped twice in the previous over off successive balls from the same bowler.

But after his dismissal, a fired-up Lawson swiftly wrapped up the innings by dispatching Brett Lee, Stuart MacGill and Jason Gillespie with some hostile and throat-cutting deliveries.

Lee gloved a lifting delivery in the air for Jacobs to take the resulting lob while MacGill, after ducking out the way of two vicious bouncers, sliced a catch to Chanderpaul at second slip.

The Australian innings ended in spectacular style with Jacobs, showing no signs of the leg injury which kept him out of the last two Tests, making a breathtaking left-handed catch as he moved and dived a couple of yards down the leg-side.

AUSTRALIA 1st innings

J.Langer c Banks b Lawson 42

M.Hayden c Drakes b Lawson 14

M.Love b Banks 36

D.Lehmann c wkp. Jacobs b Lawson 7

S.Waugh c wk Jacobs b Dillon 41

A.Gilchrist c Chanderpaul b Dillon 33

A.Bichel c sub. (Samuels) b Lawson 34

B.Lee c wkp. Jacobs b Lawson 9

J.Gillespie c wkp. Jacobs b Lawson 6

S.MacGill c Chanderpaul b Lawson 2

G.McGrath not out 5

Extras: (b-2, lb-3, nb-4, w-2) 11

Total: (all out, 72.1 overs) 240

Fall of wickets: 1-28, 2-80, 3-93, 4-128, 5-181, 6-194, 7-224, 8-231, 9-233.

Bowling: Dillon 18-2-53-2 (nb-3), Lawson 19.1-3-78-7 (w-2), Drakes 15-2-40-0 (nb-1), Banks 20-2-62-1.

WEST INDIES 1st innings

C.Gayle b McGrath 0

D.Smith not out 21

D.Ganga c wkp. Gilchrist b Bichel 6

V.Drakes not out 12

Extras: (lb-7, nb-1) 8

Total: (2 wickets, 15 overs) 47

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-30.

Bowling: McGrath 5-0-14-1 (nb-1), Gillespie 4-0-10-0, Bichel 3-2-3-1, Lee 2-0-11-0, MacGill 1-0-2-0.

Umpires: Srinivasa Venkataraghavan, David Shepherd.