Sloppy Australia give Windies hope of victory as they chase record target

After declaring their second innings on 439 for five, the tourists spurned chance after chance on day four, with centurion Simon Katich again culpable.

Xavier Marshall was the chief beneficiary, battling to 85 before falling to debutant Beau Casson, while Ramnaresh Sarwan (43) also contributed.

Evasive action: Xavier Marshall avoids a Brett Lee bouncer

West Indies will go into the final day needing another 240 to level the three-match series at 1-1, but effectively with only six wickets in hand as Sewnarine Chattergoon is unable to bat with an ankle injury.

The pattern was set early on in the Windies innings when Katich grassed a simple catch at third slip to deny Brett Lee the wicket of Marshall, opening in place of Chattergoon.

Katich can be grateful to have found form with the bat as this was his third straightforward missed chance of the match.

Later, Casson dropped Chris Gayle, with Lee again the unlucky bowler, while Marshall was given another life when wicketkeeper Brad Haddin failed to cling on when he edged a Stuart Clark delivery.

In between the drops, Gayle was unusually subdued, though there were a handful of authoritative shots from both batsmen.

Lee spurned a run-out opportunity, but the breakthrough finally came when Gayle (26) misjudged a pull shot off Clark, looping the ball up into the air for the leaping Lee to hold on.

Katich appeared to have made another howler with the Windies on 78 for one, but, luckily for him, replays showed his latest drop reached his slippery hands via Marshall's helmet, not his bat.

Gottim: Beau Casson celebrates the wicket of Marshall

Marshall reached tea on 42, with Sarwan 18 and the hosts 99 for one.

West Indies came out swinging after the break and had more good fortune when an edge from Marshall went between Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke in the slips, with neither captain nor vice-captain going for it.

But Marshall also produced some fine strokes, one muscular pull off Clarke going all the way for six.

With spin at both ends from Clarke and Casson the runs started to dry up, though, and the pressure told when Sarwan was trapped lbw by the former.

Marshall again had his heart in his mouth when a mistimed drive went fractionally above the reach of the hapless Katich, but he followed that up with a pair of sweet boundaries off Casson and Clarke.

Marshall's luck finally ran out when he was on 85.

The 22-year-old struck a Casson delivery against his thigh pad, with Phil Jaques at short leg diving to hold a fine catch.

That left West Indies on 181 for three, with Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Dwayne Bravo together to rebuild.

Bravo was given a life when a ferocious Lee delivery appeared to catch the glove on the way through, with Haddin holding well, but umpire Mark Benson shook his head.
In Lee's next over Bravo was trapped plumb in front by a Lee yorker but, faced with only a cursory appeal from Australia, again Benson said no.

When the battle resumed, Bravo added insult to injury by flashing successive boundaries off the paceman's next over, which went for 12.

The luckless Lee finished the day wicketless, as Bravo (30 not out) and Chanderpaul (27no) guided the hosts to the close without further damage.

Australia had declared at lunch on 439 for five after extending their lead to 474.
Resuming on 330 for three, Australia lost two early wickets, including Katich (157), to slow left-armer Sulieman Benn.

Katich had already recorded his Test best and passed 150 with a drive for four off Bravo in the first over of the day.

But he mis-timed a drive off Benn shortly after and found found substitute fielder Darren Sammy at short cover.

Andrew Symonds (two) followed in similar fashion in the spinner's next over, Chanderpaul taking the catch in a slightly deeper position.

But Clarke (48 not out) and Haddin (45no) took over, adding an unbroken 79 for the fifth wicket before the tourists called time.