CRICKET:England lost Kevin Pietersen on the stroke of tea in a drama-filled but run-light first day of the final Test against West Indies at Queen's Park Oval.
Pietersen went for just 10, bowled through the gate by left-arm spinner Ryan Hinds, when, having been defeated by a big turning delivery previous ball, one went past inside edge to defeat a prod forward.
England took tea on 156 for two as a result with captain Andrew Strauss unbeaten on 95, and on course for a third hundred in as many Tests.
Strauss' third hundred in as many Tests arrived after four hours 20 minutes at the crease when he steered a delivery from opposite number Chris Gayle into the off-side and scampered through for a single.
His 186-ball effort was his 17th three-figure score at this level, in fact, and also came at a price for West Indies.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul twisted his ankle in the process of fielding and limped from the field before play continued.
Pietersen had only been at the crease because Owais Shah was forced to retire hurt in the 48th over of the innings with cramp in his hands.
Despite only batting for a little over two and a half hours, Shah struggled to grip the bat and, in an echo of his Test debut in Mumbai three years ago, could not continue.
He departed unbeaten on 29, at a score of 133 for one, and the changeover livened the previously monotonous proceedings.
Pietersen, playing in his 50th Test, was struck on the pad third ball by medium pacer Brendan Nash and adjudged leg before wicket by Zimbabwean umpire Russell Tiffin.
However, the 28-year-old former captain greeted the decision with a giggle and after consultation with his successor Strauss opted for a referral.
Television replays highlighted that the ball had pitched way outside leg-stump but, to add to the farce, the lines of communication between the on-field officials and third umpire Aleem Dar were down.
So it took Dar to gesticulate from the stand adjacent to his television booth that the decision should be overturned.
Strauss had only recently burst into the 80s with a golden period of scoring upon reaching a 118-ball 50.
His willingness to improvise against the spinners and a clinical response to bad balls helped boost an otherwise under-par scoring rate.
England laboured on the slow surface in what is a must-win match and Strauss had stacked up 480 runs for the series by the second interval after winning the toss and choosing to extend England's sequence of batting first in all five matches.
It was made into a turgid affair by West Indies' contentment on playing for a draw which would secure their first Test series win for five years.
Left-arm medium pacer Nash operated to a ring field, with wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin up to the stumps shortly after lunch to emphasise the hosts' conservative policy.
They earlier posted an off-side sweeper inside the first hour to quell the run flow.
As a result, their chances were restricted to English mistakes as Strauss, on 47, steered to gully off Nash and inexplicably set off for a run - had Devon Smith hit his intended target the England captain would have been run out by yards.
And a misguided attempt to late cut Nash on 54 resulted in the ball dropping narrowly short of Chris Gayle at slip.
In between those incidents, Strauss brought up his 31st Test score in excess of 50.
Earlier, Strauss' opening partner Alastair Cook was undone by a beauty from Daren Powell which pitched on off-stump, forcing the left-hander to play, and did enough to take the edge on its way through to wicketkeeper Ramdin.
Powell, handed the new ball due to Jerome Taylor's absence, also induced a nick from Shah in his initial burst but the ball died on first slip, emphasising the sluggish nature of a surface which nevertheless offered some lateral movement.
Shah kept his place at number three but made another nervy start to his innings and did not get off the mark until his 20th delivery.
When he did so, he came within a whisker of running out Strauss, who was on 31 at the time.
Shah pushed to cover and set off for a single but Strauss would have been short of his ground at the non-striker's end had Ryan Hinds' shy struck its intended target.
Driven boundaries off consecutive Powell deliveries appeared to settle Shah down but his third four was a more risky affair as a cut at Lionel Baker flew through past gully at catchable height.