I only decided to stay out there and get as many runs as possible Jason Gillespie

Night-watchman Jason Gillespie reached a maiden Test century as Australia built a 167-run lead against Bangladesh on the third day in Chittagong.

Gillespie's hundred took 296 balls and arrived with an extra cover drive off Abdur Razzak for his 17th boundary.

Australia were 364-3 at tea, with Gillespie 102 not out and Mike Hussey on 93 but rain prevented further play.

Bangladesh's only success was the dismissal of Ricky Ponting, who was run out before lunch by Razzak for 52.

His downfall ended a 90-run stand for the third wicket with Gillespie, who had two slices of luck when he was dropped on 44 and 60 by wicket-keeper Khaled Mashud and Razzak, who was fielding at gully.

Bangladesh relied on their spinners to keep the scoring rate in check during the morning session.

Ponting's 34th half century in Tests arrived off 94 balls but he departed immediately afterwards when he took off for a run after Gillespie played a ball from Rafique towards backward point.

The Australian captain was sent back but was unable to recover his ground in time as Razzak threw to the bowler's end.

Gillespie mixed watchful defence with some powerful strokes

From 236-3 at lunch, Australia lifted the tempo during the afternoon session with Hussey, in particular, producing some high-class strokeplay.

He reached his fifty with a nudge to fine leg off paceman Shahadat Hossain and celebrated by pulling successive deleiveries from the same bowler for four in his next over.

Hussey square cut Rafique for another boundary and then used his feet to come down the pitch and loft the slow left-armer away to long on.

The left-hander moved into the 90s in the final over before tea with an off-drive off Shahadat for his 14th four.

By then, however, Gillespie had already become only the third night-watchman in Test history to make a century.

The first to do so was Pakistan's Nasim-ul-Ghani (101) against England at Lord's in 1962. The second was Gillespie's little-known compatriot Tony Mann, who made 105 against India at Perth in 1977.

"Bangladesh bowled well. The pacers were getting bounce and the spinners were keeping it low - I was lucky to hang around," Gillespie commented.