It was a wide delivery from MacGill, and earlier in the day, it might have received the full treatment. This time however, Lara could only steer it high into Hayden’s left hand (238 for 7).

Moments later, Carlton Baugh was gone as well, caught at cover by Justin Langer as he heaved the first ball of Brad Hogg’s new spell high into the deep with the air of a defeated man. At least his replacement, Merv Dillon, avoided the ignominy of a 26th Test duck, but the end is nigh.

Despite the best efforts of Brett Lee, the morning session belonged to Brian Lara. In the most absorbing contest of the series so far, Lara played with a mixture of extreme grit and amazing grace to score his first Test hundred on his home ground in Trinidad, his eighth against Australia, and his 20th overall. It took Lara 164 balls, and he smacked 12 fours and one six, but it was by no means easy.

Lee - still with yesterday's Lara drop fresh in his mind - bowled with extra venom and hostility to Lara in his second spell of the day. It was an intriguing and encapsulating battle between two heavyweights of world cricket, and Lara won it - for the time being. Lee hurled down a bruising barrage of bouncers, two of which whistled past Lara's chin, and one thudded into Lara's arm as he turned away for protection.

And while West Indian nerves jangled as Lara approached his century, Lee burst his lungs with an appeal against Lara, who was on 96 at the time, for an lbw shout which at first looked close, but was correctly given not out by Rudi Koertzen - and the whole of the Port-of-Spain crowd sighed with relief. The following over, Lara cracked a Stuart MacGill full toss past mid-on to start the celebrations. He punched the air in delight, and the look of relief on his face was visible to all after he took off his helmet to applaud his loving fans.

At the start of the session, Lara played cautiously, but freed his arms soon after with a record-breaking straight six off Hogg. Lara shuffled down the pitch and deposited the ball way over Hogg's head and handsomely clear of the rope. That six took him to 75 not out, and also past Sir Garry Sobers's record for the most Test runs in the Caribbean.

And that was the just the start of a spate of breathtaking strokes. In consecutive Gillespie overs, Lara smashed two spanking cover drives - the first off the front foot and the second off the back - which left Gillespie shaking his mullet in frustration. Ramnaresh Sarwan too got in the act with a dashing drive through extra cover off Hogg, as the pair brought up their fifty partnership from 80 balls.

Sarwan played the supporting role, and played it very well as he digged in while Lara took the brunt of the Aussie attack. But he did have two close calls. In just the third over of the morning he nearly ran himself out when after pushing Hogg towards Steve Waugh at midwicket, he set off for an improbable quick single, and Waugh narrowly missed the stumps. Then later he flashed at a wide half volley from MacGill which Matthew Hayden couldn't quite hold on to at first slip.

Lara too had his hairy moments early on. With his first ball of the day, Hogg slipped in a quicker ball which was just heading down leg stump, while Jason Gillespie bowled an almost identical ball to the one which did for Devon Smith yesterday. This time, Asoka de Silva gave the batsman the benefit.

And that was the just the start of a spate of breathtaking strokes. In consecutive Gillespie overs, Lara smashed two spanking cover drives - the first off the front foot and the second off the back - which left Gillespie shaking his mullet in frustration. Sarwan too got in the act with a dashing drive through extra cover off Hogg, as the pair brought up their fifty partnership from 80 balls.

West Indies are going to need their fair share of luck if they are going to win this Test match, and they used up their first life in just the third over of the morning when Ramnaresh Sarwan nearly ran himself out. After pushing Brad Hogg towards Steve Waugh at midwicket, Sarwan set off for an improbable quick single, and Waugh narrowly missed the stumps.

The Aussies have two good appeals for lbw turned down, both against Brian Lara. With his first ball of the day, Hogg slipped in a quicker ball which was just heading down leg stump, while Jason Gillespie bowled an almost identical ball to the one which did for Devon Smith yesterday. This time, Asoka de Silva gave the batsman the benefit.

Smith survived a big Gillespie shout on his fourth ball, but his fifth was his unlucky number. Bowling wide from round the wicket, Gillespie speared one into Smith's pads - the appeal went up, and so did Mr de Silva's finger, and Smith bagged a pair in only his second Test. (2 for 1). Replays suggested the ball hit Smith outside the line of off stump, but to free Asoka from yet more stick, it looked out at first glance.

Daren Ganga, hero of the first innings, was the next to go. He too escaped decent lbw appeals and was lucky to survive when he shouldered arms to what he thought was a Gillespie bouncer. The ball didn't bounce as much he expected though, and it ballooned up in the air off his thumb, but just short of Andy Bichel in the gully. It didn't matter though, as in his next over, Gillespie forced Ganga to drive hard at a ball that wasn't full enough for the shot, with a resulting edge to Matthew Hayden at first slip (12 for 2).

While Hayden nervously scratched his way to a confidence-restoring century, Lehmann signalled the Aussie intent for quick runs from the moment he heaved Marlon Samuels for a huge six over mid-on in the 62nd over. He followed that with an identical shot in Samuels's next over, and made sure Dillon got the treatment too when he twice clubbed the ball past him as if he was playing baseball. Fittingly, he brought up his fifty with another searing boundary off the ineffective Samuels, in just 82 balls, including six fours and two sixes.

But when Lehmann was on just 20, Wavell Hinds duffed two chances to send him back the pavilion before the carnage ensued. In the space of three overs, Lehmann pushed Drakes to cover where Hinds swooped to take a clean pick-up-and-throw, but narrowly missed the stumps, and in Drakes's next over he spooned a wide delivery straight to Hinds at gully. The ball popped in Hinds's hands - and out again, and as so often happens, Lehmann smacked the next ball for four.

But when Lehmann eventually went, yorked by Dillon as he sized up one shot too many, Steve Waugh - due to come in next himself - waved Hayden in to leave West Indies a highly improbable target of 407 to win. Step up Mr Lara.

Lehmann pushed Drakes to cover where Hinds swooped to take a clean pick-up-and-throw, but narrowly missed the stumps. Lehmann would have been a goner, and he should have been a goner in Drakes's next over when he spooned a wide delivery straight to Hinds at gully. The ball popped in Hinds's hands - and out again, and as so often happens, Lehmann smacked the next ball for four.

Despite the anticipated onslaught, Hayden and Lehmann still chose to play carefully rather than aggressively, and kept the run-rate up at an efficient 3.35 per over.

On the docile Trinidad pitch, Pedro Collins bowled too wide to have any impact, while Vasbert Drakes maintained last night's tight line, but to no great effect. Mervyn Dillon, however, was the pick of the West Indies fast bowlers, angling in to the crease and giving Matthew Hayden a few hairy moments with two similar lbw shouts. Both pitched clearly outside leg stump, and although that doesn't usually stop umpire de Silva, this time Asoka kept his right hand in his pocket. After his run of poor scores, Hayden was a little shaky by his standards. He flashed a wide one from Drakes high over the slips, and in Drakes's following over he skied him unconvincingly high over his head, in what looked like an attempted cover drive.

But Drakes was made to pay for those near misses when he later gifted Hayden two successive gentle long-hops, which even an out-of-form Glenn McGrath would have put away. Hayden's confidence began to grow and he was visibly relieved when he cut Marlon Samuels to the fence to reach his 11th Test fifty, and his first in six innings.

Meanwhile, Ponting was doing his best to rename the series the Ricky Ponting Trophy, rather than Frank Worrell. He really is in fine fettle and he produced another controlled innings adorned with some dashing strokeplay, such as a nonchalant pull and a sumptuous square drive off Collins. Another hundred seemed his for the taking until he edged Dillon to Carlton Baugh for 45. Attempting a cover drive, Ponting was undone by an away swinger and Baugh dived low to his right to take a tidy catch (118 for 2). Ponting did walk - but not without a word or two to Dillon, who accidentally hit Ponting's helmet with his arm as he celebrated his well-deserved wicket.

Ponting's dismissal was some consolation for West Indies, who bowled better than yesterday. Even though they aren't out of it yet, if they don't withstand the inevitable Australian assault this afternoon, then the match - and series - could be beyond salvation.

On the docile Trinidad pitch, Pedro Collins bowled too wide to have any impact, while Vasbert Drakes maintained last night's tight line, but to no great effect. Mervyn Dillon, however, was the pick of the West Indies fast bowlers, angling in to the crease and giving Matthew Hayden a few hairy moments with two similar lbw shouts. Both pitched clearly outside leg stump, and although that doesn't usually stop umpire de Silva, this time Asoka kept his right hand in his pocket.

After his run of poor scores, Hayden was a little shaky by his standards. He flashed a wide one from Drakes high over the slips, and in Drakes' following over he skied him unconvincingly high over his head, in what looked like an attempted cover drive.

Their old friend Ricky Ponting, however, really is in fine fettle and another hundred seems his for the taking. He nonchalently planted Collins over midwicket to bring up Australia's 50, and his third boundary - a sumptuous square drive, again off Collins - was a remarkable shot of a man on top of his game. West Indies aren't out of it yet, but if they don't take a wicket in this session then the match - and series - could be beyond salvation.