ADELAIDE, Australia (CMC) — For once, Chris Gayle put his cool temperament to constructive use, leading from the front with his 11th Test hundred which boosted West Indies’ lead to 296, and put them in a favourable position in the second Test against Australia yesterday.

The West Indies captain was undefeated on 155, as the visitors, leading by 12 runs on first innings, reached 284 for eight in their second innings when stumps were drawn on the fourth and penultimate day.

Gayle has often been criticised for his unfussy demeanour on the field which has been mistaken for a lack of passion or commitment.

But he battled cramps and showed unusual restraint to bat through the day, and fashioned an innings of monumental proportions that gave a rare glimpse of his true class as a batsman.

It brought him his first Test hundred against the Aussies, and gave his team a sniff of an unexpected victory that would draw them level in the series.He reached his fourth hundred in the post of West Indies captain from 179 balls, when he swept off-spinner Nathan Hauritz for three to deep fine leg, as Australia’s bowlers toiled for the entire day on the hard, true Adelaide Oval pitch.

The wickets tumbled around Gayle, but he remained composed, and shared three vital, successive, half-century stands which fortified West Indies’ position in the Test.

He added 72 for the third wicket with fellow left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 61 for the fourth wicket with another left-hander Brendan Nash, and 57 for the fifth wicket with first innings century-maker Dwayne Bravo.

Chanderpaul scored 27, Nash made 24, and Bravo got 22 — all batted extended periods, but failed to carry on like Gayle.

The main threat to West Indies’ stability was left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Johnson, whose four wickets for 85 runs from 19 overs made him Australia’s most successful bowler. Doug Bollinger supported with two for 36 from 14 overs.

Before lunch, Gayle had reached his 50 from 78 balls, when he drove Hauritz to the long-on boundary for his eighth of his 16 fours, and led West Indies to 95 for two at the interval.

He and Adrian Barath gave West Indies a solid base of 45 for the first wicket, after the visitors resumed from their overnight total of 23 without loss.

The third and final Test at the Western Australia Cricket Arena (WACA) in Perth starts on December 16.

Scoreboard

WEST INDIES 1st Innings 451

(D Bravo 104; M Johnson 3-105)

AUSTRALIA 1st Innings 439

(S Watson 96; S Benn 5-155)

WEST INDIES 2nd Innings

(overnight 23 without loss)

*C Gayle not out 155

A Barath run out (Hauritz) 17

R Sarwan c wkpr Haddin b Johnson 7

S Chanderpaul lbw b Bollinger 27

B Nash b Watson 24

D Bravo c Hauritz b Johnson 22

+D Ramdin b Johnson 0

DSammy c *Ponting b Bollinger 10

S Benn c Siddle b Johnson 5

R Rampaul not out 0

Extras (b8, lb2, w1, nb6) 17

TOTAL (8 wkts, 93 overs) 284

Fall of wickets: 1-45 (Barath), 2-61 (Sarwan), 3-133 (Chanderpaul), 4-194 (Nash), 5-251 (Bravo), 6-251 (+Ramdin), 7-277 (Sammy), 8-284 (Benn)

Bowling: Johnson 19-1-85-4 (w1); Bollinger 14-3-36-2 (nb3); Hauritz 27-4-68-0 (nb2); Siddle 8-2-28-0; North 14-2-42-0; Watson 11-5-15-1

Match position: West Indies lead by 296 runs with two second innings wickets standing

Umpires: Asad Rauf, I Gould

Video Replays: B Oxenford

Match Referee: C Broad