Michael Atherton received an emotional ovation from the sellout Oval crowd yesterday after guiding England into a commanding position over West Indies by ending his search for a London century in the fifth Test.

Just days after hinting next summer's Ashes series could be his last as an international player, Atherton provided one of his best recent performances by scoring 108 to help England to a second-innings total of 217 and an overwhelming 373-run advantage.

His innings spanned nearly seven-and-a-half hours at the crease and ensured West Indies, trailing by 156 runs after the first innings, have little hope of claiming victory today.

They ended the penultimate day of this Test on 33 without loss, needing a further 341 to claim the incredible victory they require to extend England's 31-year wait since the last triumph over the West Indies.

If England do end that long wait for success, which has lasted 13 successive series, Atherton will have played a major part having batted for more than 12 hours. He resumed on 36 with England 212 ahead on 56 for two and withstood everything Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose had to offer to score his first century at either London Test ground in 46 innings and 24 appearances.

Perhaps it was that amazing statistic, coupled with his failure to make significant scores in either of the two previous Tests, which led Atherton to believe his place may be under threat for the decisive meeting with West Indies.

Without his efforts at The Oval, however, it would have been England struggling. He followed his first-innings 83 with his masterful century yesterday. Wickets fell regularly at the other end, including two in three balls from Walsh to move him within sight of Malcolm Marshall's series record against England of 35 wickets in 1988, but Atherton remained solid. England had begun the day looking to bat West Indies out of the contest, an objective which was undermined in the fourth over of the day when Graham Thorpe swivelled and pulled Walsh straight to Adrian Griffith at square leg.

Stewart was more unlucky in his dismissal, cutting leg-spinner Mahendra Nagamootoo powerfully and Sherwin Campbell somehow holding onto the catch after falling backwards at slip.

It was then that West Indies demonstrated just why they have been so dominant for so long, Walsh coming back from the Vauxhall End to trap Michael Vaughan leg before and two balls later inducing Graeme Hick into a lame push outside off-stump which he edged to Campbell at slip.

At 139 for six they were 319 runs ahead, but with Brian Lara desperate to make amends for the only first-ball duck of his career in the first innings England were by no means confident that advantage would be sufficient.

Craig White's arrival at the crease prompted a brief attacking flurry from Atherton until the Yorkshire all-rounder called for a quick run and was defeated by Griffith's throw to the non-striker's end - and Nixon McLean cleaned up Andrew Caddick and Dominic Cork.

Fittingly, given the battles the pair have enjoyed over the years, Walsh ended England's and Atherton's innings when he tempted him into a weary looking prod outside off-stump which he edged behind to wicket-keeper Ridley Jacobs.

The crowd rose again to salute Curtly Ambrose as he walked off the pitch having bowled in a Test match for the final time, finishing with 405 victims from his 98 appearances.

Walsh, who finished just one short of equalling Marshall's record, has at least got the consolation of the $2,000 on offer for the leading wicket-taker in the series.