The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, Antigua

Simon Katich hit an unbeaten 113 and Ricky Ponting became the seventh player to 10,000 runs as Australia reached 259 for three against the West Indies on Friday.

Left-hander Katich batted the entire day for his third test century, including nine fours off 241 balls.

Ponting hit for 65, reaching the 10,000 plateau just before he was dismissed on day one of the second cricket test at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

He and Katich shared a second-wicket stand of 136 that gave Australia the edge after they won the toss on a placid pitch.

Darren Sammy (one for 31), Jerome Taylor (one for 43) and Dwayne Bravo (one for 56) were the successful home team bowlers.

Ponting joins fellow greats Brian Lara (11,953), Sachin Tendulkar (11,782), Allan Border (11,174), Steve Waugh (10,927), Sunil Gavaskar (10,122) and Rahul Dravid (10,098) in the 10,000-run club.

"The thing I've always said I'm most proud about is probably my longevity in the game," Ponting said after play. "As a top order batsman, I guess if you play that many games, you're expected to get close on 10,000 runs."

"It started in the Caribbean in 1995, so 13 years in international cricket it's taken to get to 10,000 test runs," he said. "I think everyone growing up wishes they that they could do it.

"I've never been one for stats or milestones like that," the 33-year-old Aussie skipper said. "I try to do the best that I can for my team in any situation that I'm confronted with and score as many runs as I can in every game."

Ponting came to the crease when Phil Jaques fell at 36 for one midway through the first session.

Jaques was leg before to Bravo for 17 as he played across an inswinger.

Ponting and Katich, under pressure after a double failure in the first test, took the visitors to lunch at 70 for one.

The partnership blossomed after the interval and both players brought up half centuries as Australia dominated the second session. Ponting reached his 10,000th run just after tea, to the applause of a mainly Australian crowd of about 2,000.

But the West Indies rallied quickly when Taylor earned Ponting's wicket with a slower ball that the batsman sliced to gully.

Ponting faced 122 balls and batted just under three hours. The home team enjoyed their best spell of the day, and Fidel Edwards should have dismissed both Michael Hussey and Katich in successive overs but catches were dropped.

Hussey deflected an unconvincing hook and wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin failed to hold on.

Katich was 90 when he swatted to backward point where Runako Morton grassed a simple offering.

Hussey did not push on as he swatted Sammy to midwicket. But Katich soon passed three figures for the first time since March 2005.

He and Michael Clarke consolidated Australia's advantage by adding 60 unbroken for the fourth wicket before close.

Clarke batted beautifully in compiling an undefeated 38 off 50 balls with five fours.