Steve Waugh's unbeaten 82 and 96 from Michael Slater put Australia in charge of the fifth Test in Sydney as they looked to complete a 5-0 series whitewash over West Indies.

The Australians, pursuing a record 15th successive Test victory, had the tourists on the ropes again at the end of the second day's play after putting on 284 for four in reply to West Indies' 272 all out.

The only major disappointment of the day for the hosts came when Slater checked out in the nervous 90s for the ninth time in his 67 Tests.

However, captain Waugh was closing on another century at stumps with Ricky Ponting not out on 51. Their unbroken fifth-wicket stand had added 127 in 147 minutes.

Waugh, playing in his 132nd Test, survived a confident lbw appeal off Courtney Walsh when on seven and went on to make them pay dearly, slogging Mahendra Nagamootoo for six on to the hill at the SCG.

But while Waugh has visions of his 24th career Test hundred, Slater was out in the 90s yet again.

He scorched to 96 off 142 balls only to perish going after leg-spinner Nagamootoo, Marlon Samuels taking the catch at point.

Slater, whose swashbuckling innings of 13 boundaries and one all-run four came in 174 minutes at the crease, had been closing in on his 15th Test century.

But such is his sequence of dismissals that there was anxiety among his home crowd as he approached the target.

''To me that was a full lofted delivery that deserved to go to the boundary and that's what I tried to do,'' said Slater.

If Slater was disappointed to be out four runs short of 100, Mark Waugh was equally upset when he was run out during the third hour of play.

It was going to take an error to break up the blossoming partnership between Slater and Waugh and it came in the 30th over at 109 for two when Waugh hit behind point and was called for a run by Slater.

Waugh could not beat Sherwin Campbell's throw to keeper Ridley Jacobs to be out for 22 when he had looked set for a big score.

There was controversy in the hour before lunch when Justin Langer, on seven, refused to walk when he edged to Brian Lara at first slip off Walsh.

The umpires called on the third umpire in the stand to make a decision on whether Lara had his fingers under the ball to claim a clean catch.

But after several minutes television umpire Simon Taufel could not be certain from replays that Lara had taken the catch and Langer batted on to Lara's chagrin.

Langer was finally removed for 20, caught by Jacobs in Nixon McLean's opening over.

Matthew Hayden was out for three in the third over of the innings when he was snapped up by Lara at slip for his 100th Test catch, giving Walsh his 493rd Test wicket.

l Daryll Cullinan hit his fourth century in successive Tests at Newlands and put South Africa in a commanding position on the second day of the second Test against Sri Lanka in Cape Town yesterday.

Mark Boucher joined in a run feast, making 92 in a South African total of 426 for six. It gave South Africa a first-innings lead of 331 with four wickets standing and three days still to play.

Sri Lanka were bowled out for 95 in the first three hours of the match.

Cullinan made 112 before being run out by a direct hit from Chaminda Vaas shortly before tea