RAIN and bad light have brought a deflating end to the second Test at Queen’s Park Oval today, just at the point where Australia and the West Indies both fancied their chances of victory.The Test was set up for an enthralling finish when the weather, which has interrupted all five days of the match, intervened for the last time.Australian captain Michael Clarke appeared to plead with the umpires to allow play to continue with spinners operating from both ends as the light faded dramatically at 2.10pm local time, with the West Indies on 53 in their second innings. At that point they still needed 162 runs for victory, Australia another eight wickets.Clarke’s declaration at 8-160 had been nothing if not daring, setting the West Indies the tempting target of 215 from 61 overs to win the Test and level the series. Now Australia will head to Dominica for the Third and final Test starting Monday 1-0 up, the Frank Worrell Trophy already retained.The West Indies run chase had begun disastrously, however, when Kieran Powell, promoted to opener over the staid Kraigg Brathwaite, departed lbw for four in Ben Hilfenhaus’ opening over.Undeterred fast-scoring West Indies captain Darren Sammy moved himself up the order to come in at first drop to maintain the pursuit.But Hilfenhaus, shouldering the pace attack virtually on his own with James Pattinson off the field and soon to follow Australia’s other injured bowler Peter Siddle home for treatment, then sent another tremor through the Windies dressing room.He beat regular opener Adrian Barath with a gem that left him off the wicket and took the edge, with Clarke easily accepting the regulation catch at first slip. Suddenly the home side was 2-13 and 215 was looking a long way away.Sammy, however, wasn’t interested in playing for a draw and decided to take the attack to Australia’s main strike bowler, belting 14 runs off Hilfenhaus’ fourth over with a massive straight six and two fours.Riding his luck, Sammy then swung lustily at left arm spinner Michael Beer and was lucky twice not to be bowled. Indeed, wicketkeeper Matthew Wade must have been convinced both balls were going on to hit the stumps because he didn’t cover them properly and conceded a total of six byes when they missed.Beer kept attacking and pleaded with the umpire Ian Gould for a dismissal and then, when none was forthcoming, with captain Clarke for a referral after Sammy shouldered arms on 30 to a ball that might well have hit the stumps.He would never know for certain because Clarke decided not to risk wasting a referral.Earlier, Ricky Ponting had top-scored with 41 off 85 balls as Australia had laboured through 25 overs in the first session to score just 50 runs. All batsmen found the combination of tight bowling, uneven wicket and slow outfield made it almost impossible to score quickly without taking a huge risk.
