Fast bowler Jermaine Lawson took 7-78 as West Indies bowled Australia out for 240 in their first innings on the first day of the fourth and final Test match on Friday.

West Indies were 47 for two in reply at the close after Glenn McGrath dismissed Chris Gayle with the second ball of the innings and Daren Ganga was caught behind by Adam Gilchrist off Andy Bichel for six.

Devon Smith was on 21 and night watchman Vasbert Drakes was on 12 at the close.

Earlier, the 23-year-old Lawson, who took a split hat-trick in the third Test, removed opening pair Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer before lunch, dismissed Darren Lehmann after the break and then mopped up the last four wickets for his career-best figures.

Mervyn Dillon took the key wickets of captain Steve Waugh and Gilchrist, while Omari Banks took the other wicket to fall as West Indies exploited a bouncy Recreation Ground pitch.

Australia, 3-0 up in the four-match series and attempting to hand West Indies their first whitewash at home, were without vice-captain Ricky Ponting, who was ruled out with a flu-like viral infection.

Australia started briskly scoring a quick 27 before Lawson made the breakthrough as Hayden, having made 14, miscued an attempted pull and Vasbert Drakes took an easy catch at mid-on.

West Indies should have dismissed Langer for 14 three overs later but second slip Gayle dropped an easy chance off Dillon. Langer went on to make 42 before he deflected a Lawson delivery to gully where Banks took a low catch.

Lehmann followed after lunch when he edged Lawson to wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs -- returning after missing the last two Tests through injury -- for seven.

Waugh suffered some uncomfortable moments against Lawson and also escaped when he got an inside edge to Banks, while Martin Love, Ponting's last-minute replacement, escaped twice in successive Banks overs, being dropped by Shivnarine Chanderpaul both times.

Later, Love was out for 36 when he deflected the ball on to the stumps as Australia slumped to 128 for four.

Waugh and Gilchrist added a quick 53 before Dillon dismissed both in successive overs after tea.

The Australia captain made 41 when he was judged to have been caught behind by Jacobs off Dillon and trudged away reluctantly, clearly believing he had not touched the ball.

Gilchrist followed for 33, including five fours, when his pull shot flew high to Chanderpaul running in from wide mid-on.

Bichel then made a snappy 34, which included seven boundaries, off 39 balls before he became Lawson's fourth victim as he cut the ball straight into the hands of substitute Marlon Samuels at backward point.

Lawson completed his five-wicket haul when Brett Lee attempted to fend off a bouncer and the ball looped into the gloves of Jacobs.

He then had Stuart MacGill caught by Ramnaresh Sarwan at second slip, having softened him up with bouncers in the two previous deliveries before Jacobs took a flying catch to his left, while Jason Gillespie edged another Lawson delivery.

Scoreboard

Australia (1st innings):

J.Langer c Banks b Lawson 42

M.Hayden c Drakes b Lawson 14

M.Love b Banks 36

D.Lehmann c Jacobs b Lawson 7

S.Waugh c Jacobs b Dillon 41

A.Gilchrist c Chanderpaul b Dillon 33

A.Bichel c sub Samuels b Lawson 34

B.Lee c Jacobs b Lawson 9

J.Gillespie c Jacobs b Lawson 6

S.MacGill c Sarwan b Lawson 2

G.McGrath not out 5.

Extras (b-2, lb-3, w-2, nb-4) 11

Total (all out, 72.1 overs) 240

Fall of wickets: 1-27, 2-80, 3-93, 4-128, 5-181, 6-194, 7-224, 8-231, 9-233

Bowling: Dillon 18-2-53-2 (3nb), Lawson 19.1-3-78-7 (2w), Drakes 15-2-42-0 (1nb), Banks 20-2-62-1.

West Indies (1st innings):

C.Gayle b McGrath 0

D.Smith not out 21

D.Ganga c Gilchrist b Bichel 6

V.Drakes not out 12

Extras (lb 7, nb 1) 8

Total (for two wickets, 15 overs) 47

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-30

Bowling: McGrath 5-0-14-1 (1nb), Gillespie 4-0-10-0, Bichel 3-2-3-1, Lee 2-0-11-0, MacGill 1-0-2-0

To bat: B.Lara, R.Sarwan, S.Chanderpaul, R.Jacobs, O.Banks, M.Dillon, J.Lawson.