IAN BISHOP reigniting a career blighted by hack injuries, kept the West Indies in contention in the fluctuating second cricket test with a superb all round performance against Australia in Sydney yesterday produced his highest Test score of 48 to leave the West Indies trailing by 27 runs on the first innings, before removing captain Mark Taylor and Ricky Ponting to have Australia at 77 for two at stumps.

That left Australia with a lead of 104 runs with eight second innings wickets left and two days to play. At the close, opener Matthew Elliott had reached his highest Test score of 45 with Mark Waugh on two.

Australia, who lead the series 10, are looking for a 300 plus lead by late today to give them a chance of bowling out the West Indies on a wearing last day pitch tomorrow.

Bishop gave the Caribbean tourists hope of upsetting the home side's plans with his two breakthroughs.

Taylor was out when he flashed at Bishop's first ball of his fourth over to be snapped up by a juggling Brian Lara at first slip for 16.

Taylor, who has been struggling for form in the series with earlier scores of 43, 36 and 27, batted for 73 minutes for one four and faced 54 deliveries.

Bishop then made it a disastrous Test for Ricky Ponting when, he got him to edge to wicketkeeper Courtney Browne to be out for four following on from his nine ink the first innings. Ponting also dropped a straightforward chance off Robert Samuels in the West Indies' first innings.

Earlier, Bishop posted his highest test score as the West Indies passed 300 for the first time in their last nine completed innings against Australia. The Caribbean tourists were dismissed for 304.