Australia are in a dominant position after playing the West Indies out of the contest in the third Test in Dominica.

At stumps on day three, Australia are 6-200 in their second innings holding a commanding 310-run lead overall on a deteriorating wicket in Roseau.

The lead was built on the back of solid batting efforts from Ed Cowan and Ricky Ponting.

Under-pressure opener Cowan made 55 in his most fluid innings of the Caribbean tour, though he will be disappointed to have missed out a big score after getting himself in.

Ponting too perished after passing 50, falling to his Windies nemesis Kemar Roach (2-40) for 57 when the ball deflected off his bat as he ducked under a short ball.

The duo had earlier settled Australia nerves after David Warner (11) and Shane Watson (5) were dismissed to leave the tourists 2-25 just after lunch.

The pair added 87 runs for the third wicket, all but ensuring the Windies wouldn’t be able to steal a series levelling-win at Windsor Park despite a late flurry of wickets.

Following Cowan and Ponting, Michael Clarke (25) and Matthew Wade (four) were also dismissed with Shane Shillingford (2-69) and Narsingh Deonarine (2-28) picking up two wickets each.

Earlier in the day, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Roach frustrated Australia for an hour in a 32-run last wicket stand that boosted the Windies score to 218.

Resuming on 8-165, the Windies managed to add 53 runs on the third morning with Nathan Lyon and Mitchell Starc taking the last two wickets.

Veteran Chanderpaul was the last man dismissed, trapped LBW by Starc (2-29) after scoring 68 for the hosts.

Lyon (4-69) finished the innings with four wickets in another impressive display after his five-wicket haul in the second Test in Trinidad last week.