Steven Smith nears highest Test score before lunch

Australia batsman Steven Smith has moved 18 runs away from a career-best score in Test matches after he reached 175 during the morning session of the second Test match with West Indies.

Resuming on 258-4, Australia could add just six runs before Shane Watson was clean bowled by Jerome Taylor for 25 before he picked up his fifth wicket of the innings by removing Brad Haddin for 22.

The tourists advanced past 300 as Smith dug in to move past 150 but wickets continued to fall around him as Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc both went cheaply.

That brought Josh Hazlewood to the crease with the score on 330, but the tail-ender helped see out the final six overs of the session with Smith to take Australia to 350-8.