MacGill snares three as Australia take control

Stuart MacGill claimed three wickets as Australia overcame a sluggish start to take control of their opening West Indies tour match against a Jamaica XI.

The home side was 5-135 at lunch on the first day of the three-day match with leg-spinner MacGill the pick of Australia’s Test-strength bowling attack, despite bowling several no balls.

He snared the final three wickets to fall in the session, taking 3-23 in bowling 12 overs unchanged as Jamaica stumbled after looking well-placed at 1-83 midway through the 2 1/2 hour session.

Mitchell Johnson (1-31) and Stuart Clark (1-27) took the opening two wickets, with skipper Ricky Ponting claiming three catches at slip after Australia lost the toss and were sent in to field on a hot day at the picturesque Trelawny Multi-Purpose Stadium in Jamaica’s north-west.

Jamaica’s top three batsmen all got starts but failed to go on with the job.

West Indies Test hopeful Brenton Parchment made 25 in a 51-run opening stand with fellow opener Simon Jackson, who was eventually dismissed for 29 after receiving two lives – the first being somewhat comical as Johnson claimed the catch at fine leg only to fall over the boundary line.

Former Test batsman Xavier Marshall added 30.