Second century for Campbell

Sherwin Campbell scored his second century in successive matches as West Indies battled to stave off defeat in their four-day tour match against Western Australia at the WACA here.

Sherwin Campbell scored his second century in successive matches as West Indies battled to stave off defeat in their four-day tour match against Western Australia at the WACA here.

Trailing by 226 on the first innings, West Indies closed the third day on 266 for 6, just 40 in front and still very much in danger of defeat two weeks before the First Test against Australia in Brisbane. They were skittled out for 132 in the first innings and then Western Australia scored 358.

Campbell provided the backbone of the West Indies second innings with an obdurate and chanceless seven-hour innings of 119. Left-handers Wavell Hinds (27) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul (43) got starts but failed to convert them into meaningful scores. Skipper Jimmy Adams, with a watchful 41 not out, helped Campbell save the day for the tourists with a fifth-wicket stand of 84.

Resuming on 31 for 1, the West Indies at least displayed rather more discipline than they had on the first day. Campbell spent 87 minutes stuck on 20 before hitting left-arm seamer Steve Nikitaras for a boundary to break the calm. He reached his 21st first-class century in six hours with an uppishly driven boundary before he was finally out, trapped leg-before by the veteran West Australian Tom Moody.

It was Campbell's second century on the tour, following his unbeaten 111 against the Australian Cricket Board Chairman's XI in the opener at Lilac Hill. Yesterday he faced 288 balls and hit 16 boundaries before falling four overs before the close. He and Chanderpaul put on 86 for the fourth wicket in two hours before the latter fell to an outstanding catch by Simon Katich.