Strauss composed and back in the runs but England let it slip

Yesterday, however, he was forced to play the innings which both rescued his immediate Test career and just about kept England afloat in a Test they had looked like dominating.

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Such has been the spectacular fall from grace since Strauss was controversially overlooked for the Ashes captaincy last winter that he came to the Riverside knowing failure would bring down the curtain, for now at least. He responded with a display of character lacking in those around him, England losing three wickets in the last 15 balls of the third day of the fourth npower Test.

Strauss's moment of destiny was delayed interminably yesterday by a last-wicket stand that lifted West Indies to the relative riches of 287 as the limitations of the English attack and then the recklessness of their strokeplay gave the tourists an unlikely sniff of victory.

If a partnership of 58 between the immovable Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Corey Colleymore constituted 98 minutes of frustration for England, it was absolute agony for Strauss as he waited to face the Riverside music.

But then he conducted the England response after the rare early loss of Alastair Cook with an unbeaten 72 full of authority, his trademark cuts and pulls and the occasional slice of good fortune.

England were thankful that Strauss stood up, was counted and finished the day just six short of 3,000 Test runs in the process. A late West Indies burst which saw Michael Vaughan and Kevin Pietersen fall to Fidel Edwards either side of nightwatchman Matthew Hoggard foolishly driving expansively at Corey Collymore saw England slip to 121 for four, still 166 behind.

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They resume today suddenly needing Strauss to bat deep into this afternoon if they are not to end this mediocre series on a low note.

This archetypal team player would never blame his chronic lack of form on the crushing disappointment of seeing Andrew Flintoff preferred to him when England again needed someone to stand in for Vaughan last winter.

But a run of just two halfcenturies since the second of his two hundreds against Pakistan last year pointed to deflation and fatigue as much as the technical deficiencies exploited by bowlers who have refused to give him the width on which he thrives.

There was plenty of wide stuff yesterday just when Strauss needed it but there was also an early perfect on-drive among the 10 fours in the vice-captain's half-century.

That exquisite shot proved the two days of work he put in with assistant coach Andy Flower before this Test on 'a couple of slight technical issues' was time very well spent.

Strauss's effort was welcomed by Ryan Sidebottom, who had earlier taken his first Test five-wicket haul in a lacklustre bowling effort that saw England let West Indies off the hook from their twin lows of 55 for four and 229 for nine on a mainly slow but sometimes two-paced pitch.

"That would have done Andrew the world of good," said Sidebottom. "He has worked extremely hard and it was a fantastic knock with the ball swinging around. Hopefully he can carry on tomorrow. It's not easy to bat on that pitch but we will have to play around Andrew the way West Indies played around Chanderpaul."

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The tourists, in truth, did not so much bat around Chanderpaul as implode around him until Collymore sensibly kept the Guyanese left-hander company in a late stand that could yet bring some tangible rewards from this series to a West Indies side who have invariably been outclassed.

This was another top-quality performance from Chanderpaul, who displayed his mastery of swing bowling here after demonstrating his more well known expertise against spin at Old Trafford in the third Test. The only constant in the two innings was that, after providing him with an early life both times, England had no idea how to get him out.

Chanderpaul repelled all that was thrown at him again yesterday and has now batted for almost 191/2 hours in this series for scores of 74, 50, 116 not out and now 136 not out. His last dismissal has been followed by more than 13 hours of defiance. If only he had been fit to play at Headingley, West Indies might not have suffered the embarrassment of their worst ever Test defeat.

As it is they have the edge going into the penultimate day of the series.