PERTH, Australia (CMC) — Chris Gayle blasted the fifth fastest Test century of all time en route to his 13th Test hundred, shocking Australia’s bowlers and engineering a frenetic West Indies reply on the second day of the third and final Test at the WACA yesterday.

The left-handed Gayle belted a breathtaking 102 from a mere 70 balls as West Indies raced to 214 for two at the close, an impressive response to an imposing Australian total of 520 for seven declared.

He clobbered nine fours and six sixes in a whirlwind innings that narrowly surpassed Roy Fredericks’ 71-ball feat 34 years ago at the same ground, and which was just short of Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s 69-ball knock in Guyana, also against the Aussies, back in 2003.

Dropped on 81, Gayle carried on like man possessed, reeling off stroke after stroke to post his second successive century following his fantastic, unbeaten 165 in Adelaide almost two weeks ago.

He dominated a 136-run opening stand with Travis Dowlin, who fashioned an attractive 55, his third half-century in five Test innings. Such was Gayle’s onslaught, Dowlin was reduced to virtual obscurity, but he was content to play the sheet anchor role as his captain ploughed into the ragged Aussie bowling.

Gayle raised his first 50 of just 34 balls with eight fours and a six and his second came in 36 balls, including five sixes and a four, before he was dismissed two balls after reaching three figures.

Ramnaresh Sarwan was unbeaten at the close on a classy 42 from 54 balls and was involved in a 39-run, third-wicket stand with Narsingh Deonarine on 10 not out, with West Indies still trailing by 306 runs.

With the Windies needing a solid start, Gayle settled into his natural, attacking game to quickly tame the wicket-hungry Aussie bowlers.

Two punishing boundaries through point off Mitchell Johnson in the second over of the innings got him away nicely and he again smacked the unfortunate bowler for successive fours off the first two balls of his next over to hint at the fireworks to come.

He greeted fast bowler Clint McKay’s first ball in Test cricket with a ferocious cover-driven boundary and though he was beaten twice in the over, he smashed the final delivery over mid-wicket for another four.

Gayle raised his half-century spectacularly, hoisting left-arm seamer Doug Bollinger over mid-wicket for six as he raced to 52 not out at tea, propelling the Windies to 69 without loss off just 12 overs.

Dowlin, meanwhile, emerged ever so often from his compact, defensive mood to punish bad deliveries, and two of his three fours in his unbeaten 15 at the break were exquisite drives to the cover boundary.

Gayle carried on in similar vein after the break, smashing successive sixes off off-spinner Nathan Hauritz in the second over before continuing his assault on the hapless McKay, dumping the 26-year-old right-armer over long-on for six with an effortless swing in the bowler’s fourth over.

At 109 without loss, he survived a chance to Michael Clarke at first slip as he heaved at Hauritz, but unperturbed by the reprieve, carted the bowler for a mammoth straight six in his next over, the ball landing on the roof of the Lillee Marsh Stand.

Clearly fancying Hauritz’ facile off-spin, Gayle launched the bowler straight down the ground for his sixth six to reach his century in style, only his second against the Aussies.

He would perish two balls later, however, steering a straightforward catch to Shane Watson at point after being cramped for room by Bollinger.

Sarwan, who has already stroked six beautiful boundaries, then shared a 39-run stand with the hard-working Dowlin, who played with a straight bat against pace and spin, counting nine fours off 116 balls in 154 minutes at the crease.

One of his few indiscretions resulted in his downfall, loosely driving Johnson to Hussey at gully at 175 for two after having stroked the left-arm seamer for successive boundaries off the previous two deliveries.

Sarwan and Deonarine then steered West Indies safely to the close, denying Australia any further success in the session.

Earlier, Brad Haddin became the fourth Australian batsman of the innings to miss out on a century when he converted his lunch time 58 into 88 before giving pacer Kemar Roach a deserved second wicket, nicking a wide ball behind to wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin.

Haddin counted 11 fours and two sixes in a stroke-filled innings that lasted 91 balls and spanned 129 minutes. He posted an entertaining 66 off 78 balls for the sixth wicket with Mitchell Johnson whose 35 came from 45 balls.

Resuming from their overnight 339 for three, Australia lost two wickets in the morning session as not out batsmen Mike Hussey (81) and Marcus North (68) both perished after carrying their fourth wicket stand to 78.

Hussey, unbeaten on 81, added just one before he edged a ball that left him to Ramdin off fast bowler Ravi Rampaul while North hit an innocuous full toss back to Deonarine just minutes before lunch.

North and Haddin, who played with gay abandon, put on a further 89 runs for the fifth wicket with attacking stroke-play which allowed Australia to turn the screws on the tourists.

North, dropped by Sarwan at second slip off Rampaul when 46, struck eight fours off 117 balls in just over three hours at the crease.

Deonarine captured two for 74 with his off-spin while Roach, who bowled without luck, finished with two for 104.

Scoreboard

AUSTRALIA 1st innings

S Watson c wkp Ramdin b Roach 89

S Katich c Roach b Benn 99

*R Ponting ret. hurt 23

M Hussey c wkp Ramdin b Rampaul 82

M Clarke c Gayle b Deonarine 11

M North c & b Deonarine 68

+B Haddin c wkp Ramdin b Roach 88

M Johnson c Benn b Bravo 35

N Hauritz not out 2

Extras (b4, lb2, w1, nb16) 23

TOTAL (7 wkts decl, 130.4 overs) 520

Did not bat: D Bollinger, C McKay.

Fall of wickets: 1-132 (Watson, 35.2 overs), 1-175* (Ponting, ret. hurt, 43), 2-260 (Katich, 67.2), 3-277 (Clarke, 72.3), 4-355 (Hussey, 95.5), 5-444 (North, 112.4), 6-510 (Haddin, 125.4), 7-520 (Johnson, 130.4)

Bowling: Roach 22-2-104-2 (nb6), Rampaul 22-6-85-1 (w1, nb1), Tonge 18-1-85-0 (nb9), Bravo 17.4-1-79-1, Benn 28-4-87-1, Deonarine 23-4-74-2.

WEST INDIES 1st innings

*C Gayle c Watson b Bollinger 102

T Dowlin c Hussey b Johnson 55

R Sarwan not out 42

N Deonarine not out 10

Extras (lb1, nb4) 5

TOTAL (2 wkts, 46 overs) 214

To bat: B Nash, D Bravo, +D Ramdin, S Benn, R Rampaul, G Tonge, K Roach.

Fall of wickets: 1-136 (Gayle, 24.1 overs), 2-175 (Dowlin, 33.5)

Bowling: Bollinger 11-2-41-1 (nb2), Johnson 11-1-68-1, McKay 8-1-31-0 (nb2), Hauritz 10-1-49-0, Watson 6-0-24-0.

Position: West Indies trail by 306 runs.

Toss: Australia.

Umpires: Billy Bowden, Ian Gould; TV – Assad Rauf.