ROSEAU, Dominica (AFP) — Shane Shillingford celebrated becoming the first Dominican to play Test cricket in his home country in style yesterday as he took four Australian wickets on the opening day of the third and final Test here at Windsor Park.

Australia finished the day on 212 for seven in some trouble after winning the toss. They only need a draw to take the series, having won the first Test in Barbados.

It was an unforgettable day for Shillingford as getting bounce out of the pitch he bowled an uninterrupted spell of 24 overs and finished with 4-77.

During the morning it was Ravi Rampaul that made the only breakthrough. On his return to the side after a bout of dengue fever and subsequently a shoulder injury, Rampaul’s second delivery came back into Ed Cowan who didn’t play a shot and the ball struck him on the pad trapping him lbw.

David Warner and Shane Watson prevented anymore wickets falling before lunch but were hindered by an outfield with plenty of grass on it which slowed the ball down considerably — only 16 boundaries were hit during the day.

They put together a partnership of 83 before Watson struck a pull shot off Darren Sammy in the air to backward square-leg where Narsingh Deonarine ran in and took the catch.

The West Indies were now making far more use of the short ball. Another one from Sammy caught Warner on the helmet behind his left ear as he missed another hook shot and he had to receive some treatment.

Shillingford, operating from the Billy Doctrove End, snapped up the prized wicket of the stubborn Warner for 50. Shillingford’s delivery seemed to surprise Warner and all he could do was paddle it straight to cover where Kieran Powell took the catch.

The bounce that Shillingford was finding was causing problems for Ricky Ponting too. He gloved one to where a leg-slip could have been in place and next ball beat the edge of Ponting’s bat.

However, Ponting did reach a landmark when on 23 he became the second highest run scorer in Test cricket passing Raul Dravid’s 13,288.

His joy was not to last long as he gloved a Shillingford delivery which was gleefully snapped up by Sammy.

Shillingford grabbed his third wicket in similar fashion as he found captain Michael Clarke’s glove and Adrian Barath had a simple catch at short-leg. Australia had slipped to 157 for five.

Even veteran Mike Hussey couldn’t cope with the angle the ball was coming off the pitch. Shillingford had his fourth wicket when Hussey gave another gloved chance to Sammy who dived to his left and took an excellent catch.

Ryan Harris, Man of the Match in the first Test, was back in the side having missed the Trinidad Test.

Amazingly, he became the fourth batsman to fall to a gloved catch. He missed a pull from a Kemar Roach delivery and Carlton Baugh took the chance down the leg-side.

Australia were in some trouble at 169 for seven, but the recalled Mitchell Starc put on an unbeaten 43 for the eighth wicket with Matthew Wade to at least take the tourists past the 200 mark.