Lee swings Australia towards victory with old ball

By Simon Evans

NORTH SOUND, Antigua (Reuters) - Most quick bowlers love a shiny, hard new ball in their hands but Brett Lee showed on Monday with a superb spell of five wickets in 18 balls that a battered old one can also be a deadly weapon.

The Australian ripped through the West Indies batting order with a virtually unplayable spell featuring conventional and reverse swing, giving the touring side a good chance of winning the second test.

"I do think it is definitely the best spell I have bowled with the old ball. It's probably the most I have ever moved a ball. And it's gone late too," Lee told reporters.

"There are days when it just clicks. And those moments, those six overs are the reason why I play test cricket.

"They always talk about getting into a groove and getting into the right mindset and getting in to a part in your spell when it all happens for you.

"It happened easily, I felt like I was running in I wasn't trying to bowl the ball too fast, the ball came out perfect," he said.

The key breakthrough came when Lee removed Dwayne Bravo, who together with Shivnarine Chanderpaul had put on 132 for West Indies.

Television replays showed that Bravo had not actually hit the ball, which struck his hip, but his departure opened up the lower-middle order and Lee took full advantage with three lbws and a clean bowled as the hosts tumbled to 352 all out.