GROS ISLET, St. Lucia (AFP): A purposeful, undefeated fifth Test hundred from Chris Gayle helped bring some respectability back to the West Indies batting on the third day of the opening cricket Test against Bangladesh on Sunday. The left-hander smote 14 boundaries in an unbeaten 110 from 246 balls in just over six hours to be the cornerstone of the West Indies' 262 for five, replying to Bangladesh's first innings total of 416, when bad light stopped play 13 overs early. Gayle rode a wave of fortune on the way to his landmark, being dropped on 24, 28 and 47 to underline the poor catching of the visitors. Bangladesh dropped six catches all told and missed a golden opportunity to tighten the noose around the necks of the West Indies. Gayle batted circumspectly through his side's innings and shared in three half-century partnerships with vice captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, captain Brian Lara and right-hander Dwayne Smith. Mohammad Rafique with two wickets for 81 runs from 30 overs was the most successful Bangladesh bowler. Gayle and Sarwan helped West Indies recover from the early setback of losing left-handed opener Devon Smith run out for zero backing up too far in the second over of the innings. After Smith failed to beat Faisal Hossain's throw from backward point to bowler Tareq Aziz, Gayle and Sarwan batted with aplomb to take West Indies to 68 for one at lunch. Bangladesh missed two chances in the final half-hour before the interval to inflict further agony on the West Indies, when Gayle was twice missed off Aziz in the slip cordon. Hannan Sarkar missed a regulation catch at second slip when Gayle was on 24 and, in Aziz's next over, Rajin Saleh failed to hold a low, sharp chance at gully when the left-hander was on 28. After the interval, the wickets of Sarwan and Lara helped to bring Bangladesh back into the Test at tea. Sarwan was caught at deep backward square leg for 40 off Tapash Baisya and Lara was caught behind off Mushfiqur Rahman for 53 to leave West Indies on 175 for three at the tea break. Gayle had continued to plunder the bowling, mixing sound defence and measured aggression. He and Sarwan added 87 for the second wicket before the West Indies vice-captain was lulled into a false sense of security and top-edged a hook at a short, rising ball. Sarwan hit four fours and one six from 75 balls in 109 minutes. Gayle was almost a passenger in a stand of 73 for the third wicket with Lara, who was just beginning to get into the swing of things, when he top-edged a late cut and Khaled Mashud snaffled up the catch. Lara batted for 92 minutes, faced 76 balls and struck seven fours. In between those dismissals, Bangladesh dropped four more catches. Gayle, Sarwan, Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul all benefitted from at least one missed chance during the afternoon period. After the break, Bangladesh continued to apply the pressure and were rewarded with the wickets of Chanderpaul and Dwayne Smith. Chanderpaul was caught behind for seven off Rafique, who also had Dwayne Smith caught at wide long on for 42. Chanderpaul never suggested permanence and edged to Mashud playing defensively forward, but this paved the way for a stand of 71 between Gayle and the flambuoyant Smith. Gayle continued to play circumspectly and square drove a delivery from Rafique through cover for two to arrive at his landmark, while Smith, at the other end, played some audacious strokes to strike five fours from 66 balls in 79 minutes before lofting a catch to Aziz in the deep. Earlier, West Indies needed just 20 minutes to take the last Bangladesh first innings wicket when Pedro Collins bowled Rafique off the inside edge for 111. Rafique hit 11 fours and three sixes, including a pull about five or six rows deep into the Great Western Stand off Sarwan on Sunday, from 152 balls in 230 minutes. Collins was West Indies' most successful bowler with four wickets for 83 runs from 27.3 overs. Sarwan ended with three for 59 from 23 overs and Lawson two for 66 from 16 overs. Scoreboard at close on the third day: Bangladesh 1st innings (overnight 406 for nine) Hanna Sarkar lbw b Collins 0 Javed Omar c D.S. Smith b Collins 32 Habibul Bashar c D.R. Smith b Lawson 113 Rajin Saleh c Jacobs b Sarwan 26 Mohammad Ashraful lbw b Lawson 81 Faisal Hossain c Best b Collins 5 Mushfiqur Rahman c wkpr Jacobs b Sarwan 1 Khaled Mashud st Jacobs b Gayle 2 Mohammad Rafique b Collins 111 Tapash Baisya c and b Sarwan 9 Tareq Aziz not out 6 Extras (lb10, w1, nb19) 30 Total 416 Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-121, 3-171, 4-227, 5-238, 6-241, 7-250, 8-337, 9-370. Bowling: Collins 27.3-8-83-4 (nb6); Edwards 21-2-78-0 (nb1, w1); Lawson 16-2-66-2 (nb10); Best 20-6-64-0; D.R. Smith 4-1-5-0 (nb2); Gayle 24-3-51-1; Sarwan 23-7-59-3. Overs: 135.3 West Indies 1st innings D.S. Smith run out 0 C. Gayle not out 110 R. Sarwan c Mohammad Rafique b Tapash Baisya 40 B. Lara c Khaled Mashud b Mushfiqur Rahman 53 S. Chanderpaul c Khaled Mashud b Mohammad Rafique 7 D.R. Smith c Tareq Aziz b Mohammad Rafique 42 R. Jacobs not out 1 Extras (lb1, nb8) 9 Total (for five wickets) 262 To bat: T. Best, P. Collins, J. Lawson, F. Edwards Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-89, 3-162, 4-183, 5-253. Bowling: Tapash Baisya 16-3-51-1 (nb1); Tareq Aziz 17-3-78-0 (nb5); Mushfiqur Rahman 17-6-39-1; Mohammad Rafique 30-9-81-2 (nb2); Rajin Saleh 6-0-12-0. Overs: 86 Position: West Indies trail Bangladesh by 154 runs with five first innings wickets standing. Umpires: J. Lloyds, D. Harper TV Replays: B. Morgan Reserve: L. Thomas Match Referee: R. Mahanama Reprinted from Caribbean Net News caribbeannetnews.com