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PORT OF SPAIN, Sunday-Ricky Ponting and Darren Lehmann plundered a limp West Indian bowling attack in a record stand to give Australia an overpowering start to the second cricket Test here on Saturday.

Ponting followed up his century in the opening Georgetown Test and Lehmann broke through for his maiden Test century in his 10th Test as the pair put on 315 runs for the third wicket for Australia to reach 391 for three by stumps.

Lehmann was out for 160 four overs before the close, giving debutante wicketkeeper Carlton Baugh his first Test dismissal, but vice-captain Ponting was still there on 146 with Adam Gilchrist on 14. The Australians cruised at a 4.34 run rate for much of the lopsided day.

Australia, requiring victory here to retain the Frank Worrell Trophy after winning by nine wickets in Georgetown last week, rollicked away against a threadbare Windies attack.

The West Indies went into the Test with just three front-line bowlers and paid a crushing price as the ruthless Australians buried them under an avalanche of runs on a true Queen's Park Oval pitch with a lightning-fast outfield.

Lehmann and Ponting's record stand eclipsed the Australian record for the third wicket of 295 between Colin McDonald and Neil Harvey against the West Indies in Kingston in 1955. It is Australia's highest third wicket stand in all Tests.

Lehmann, who had a life on 117 when he gloved a hook shot off Mervyn Dillon only for Baugh to fumble a high overhead chance, batted for 312 minutes and hit 21 fours and a six off 229 balls.

The most prolific-scoring batsman in Australia's Sheffield Shield history was fighting for his Test place after scoring just six in the first Test, but he has now consolidated his berth in the all-star Australian batting lineup.

Ponting again continued his rich vein of scoring form with his unconquered effort - his fourth century in his last 11 Test innings - and coming off 237 balls with 19 fours and a six.

Ponting gave one chance. He was dropped by Marlon Samuels low down at first slip off Dillon when he was on 37 in the third hour of play. It was to prove a costly fumble as he added a further 109 runs up to stumps.

Such was the dominance of the Australian batting over the limited West Indian bowling that 163 runs were scored off 38 overs in the last session.

It was one of the puzzling decisions in Test cricket as to why the West Indian decided to go into the Test they cannot afford to lose with just three front-line bowlers - Dillon, Pedro Collins and Vasbert Drakes.

The West Indies had a setback on the morning of the Test with first Test centurion Shivnarine Chanderpaul a late withdrawal with knee trouble.

Instead of naming off-spinner Omari Banks or paceman Tino Best in the starting eleven, the Windies instead decided to go for another batsman in 21-year-old Test debutante David Bernard making for eight specialist batsmen.

The choice seemed to fly in the face of the pressing need to take 20 Australian wickets to win the Test and stay alive in the series. Rather by their selection it gave every indication that the West Indies were negatively looking to avoid defeat in the Test. Lehmann appeared to have a reprieve when he was on 65. South African umpire Rudi Koertzen did not give him out caught behind to Baugh when the ball appeared to deflect off the bat off the bowling of Drakes.

In the pre-lunch session two contentious leg before wicket decisions were made by under-fire Sri Lankan umpire Asoka de Silva.

Both openers were out to questionable lbw decisions. Justin Langer, who scored 146 and 78 not out in Georgetown last week, was given out lbw off Dillon for 25.

Television replays showed that the ball pitched outside leg stump and general consensus was that de Silva had erred.

De Silva again gave another contentious lbw decision to send Matthew Hayden on his way for 30, again off Dillon, leaving Australia at 56 for two inside the opening hour. But that was to prove the last Australian wicket for over five hours.

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