Rob Forsaith at Allan Border Field
The West Indies have rallied late on day three of the four-day tour game against Queensland, finally showing some pluck and panache to reach 1-133 at stumps on Friday at Allan Border Field.
The Bulls still hold a 213-run advantage after maiden centuries from Nick Kruger (172), Wade Townsend (100) and Nathan Reardon (147) allowed Chris Simpson to declare when his side had amassed 7-617, an imposing first-innings lead of 346 runs.
Reardon's freewheeling stroke play, which featured a record-breaking seven sixes, provided the local crowd with plenty of entertainment.
However the mettle showed by Adrian Barath (not out 65) and Travis Dowlin (53) will be cause for the visitors to feel a little more upbeat despite a tough start to their Australian tour that included their first injury concern on Friday.
Veteran batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan was unable to take his usual place in the order at No. 3 due to a minor infection but the West Indies camp was confident he would be fit to bat on Saturday.
They were just as adamant Jerome Taylor, who was rested for this game due to general soreness, would also be fit for the opening Test of the summer.
But captain Chris Gayle remains in doubt for the Test after returning to Jamaica on the eve of this match to be with his ill mother, leaving a lack of not only experience, but a major hole at the top of the West Indian batting order, one both Barath and Dowlin were unable to fill in the first innings.
Dowlin fell in the third over on day one for two, while Barath followed him into the stands soon after for a duck.
The bowling conditions may have been a lot less friendly on Friday, but the duo still batted with an improved sense of calm in their 95-run opening partnership.
Chris Hartley dropped what looked to be a regulation catch when Barath was on 53, but he made amends two overs later to see Reardon claim Dowlin's scalp, the only wicket to fall in the final session.
Reardon has been a constant in the Bulls' one-day and Twenty20 sides, but was playing in just his second first-class fixture for the hosts.
The 25-year-old resumed on Friday morning unbeaten on 45 and had no trouble in transferring his natural flair across to the longer form of the game.
In a match that's featured no shortage of shot-making, Reardon displayed some of the cleanest hitting seen yet, with the highlight being his seventh six, a seemingly effortless flick off his pads that had spectators ducking for cover.
The blow saw Reardon grab a share of Andy Bichel's record for the most sixes in a first-class innings for Queensland, but he was undone the very next ball by all-rounder Dwayne Bravo.
The home side claimed a couple of mentions in the record books, with Reardon becoming the third Bulls batsman to notch a maiden ton after Nick Kruger (172) and Wade Townsend (100) helped the Bulls take a stranglehold of the game on Thursday.
The last time an Australian first-class fixture has seen three maiden centuries in the one innings was the 1929/30 Sheffield Shield season when NSW hosted Tasmania.
Reardon was ably supported by Simpson (73), while tailenders Dan Doran (31 not out) and Rimmington (20 not out) continued to plunder the runs in a free-flowing 51-run partnership.
Pace demon Kemar Roach was the pick of the tourists' bowlers with figures of 3-135.
West Indies 1st innings 271
Queensland 1st innings 617 dec
West Indies 2nd innings
Barath not out 65
Dowlin c Hartley b Reardon 53
Deonarine not out 9
Extras: 6 (4b 1lb 1nb)
Total: 133 (1 wicket; 40 overs)
FOW: 1-95,
Bowling
Feldman 12 - 3 - 29 - 0
McDermott 6 - 0 - 24 - 0
Rimmington 7 - 0 - 23 - 0
Doran 11 - 1 - 41 - 0
Reardon 4 - 0 - 11 - 1 (1nb)