CRICKET/Fourth Test:For thousands of years, the search for the secret of alchemy, the means to turn base into precious metal, has proved elusive, but the West Indies team at least have discovered how to reverse the process. Offered a golden chance to embarrass England, they finished the fourth day of the final Test having given a leaden display, and floundering in the face of defeat once more.
Put to the sword during an exhilarating afternoon for England where all semblance of discipline left the visitors and Paul Collingwood made his fifth Test century, they began their second innings with a deficit of 113, and by the close had been reduced, by a combination of Matthew Hoggard's incisive new-ball swing, Monty Panesar's twirl, and Michael Vaughan's intuition at the start of the innings - perhaps it is he who has stumbled on the philosopher's stone - to 83 for three, still 30 adrift.
If England claim credit for the manner in which they extricated themselves from the depths of 165 for six to reach 400, then West Indies were abject, as Collingwood, with 128, and Matthew Prior, with 62, left them in their wake.
Only Chris Gayle flourished, standing tall and belting seven uncomplicated boundaries - three in Steve Harmison's opening over - in a rapid, unbeaten 52, but although he has a Test triple century to his name, made against South Africa two years ago, and clearly has the capacity for the long haul, this smacked less of permanence than a concerted effort to biff his way into some kind of form before he leads the team into the one-day series.
Bad light ended play 20 minutes early and West Indies will return this morning with the faint prospect of making life uncomfortable for England resting on Gayle and, inevitably, the fragile shoulders, broad bat and unshakeable patience and temperament of Shivnarine Chanderpaul.
Hoggard's return has offered Vaughan, who later ended speculation about his future by stepping down as captain of England's one-day team, control in conditions that could scarcely be better for those with the capacity to send the ball aerobatically off the straight and, all to often in this series, the not so narrow.
In the first innings, Hoggard, who missed the second and third Tests because of injury, was down on fizz and short on the rhythm that only comes with proper bowling in a competitive environment, and it was the left-arm fast-medium of Ryan Sidebottom that brought the results. Hoggard is comfortable in the side once more, though, perhaps more than before now that his great friend and counsellor Allan Donald is on board, and his initial burst yesterday showed precisely why he is one of the most respected new-ball practitioners in the world.
The left-handed Devon Smith, who once made a hundred against England and was promoted (if that is the right word) to open in place of Daren Ganga, had no answer to the inswing that saw him offer his bat down the line of off-stump even as the ball swerved sharply in towards the top of middle: Billy Bowden has had more taxing decisions to make.
When Vaughan, juggling his bowling attack like a variety performer, brought Panesar on for Sidebottom and immediately saw Runako Morton drag a modest delivery - shortish and with width - on to his stumps, West Indies were 38 for three and, with overs in hand, facing the possible humiliation of defeat before the end of the day.
The enthusiastic and successful manner in which West Indies began the day, and the blend of belligerence and calm with which they finished, were merely the bread round a dismal filling.
It took Fidel Edwards, who finished the innings with five for 112, no time to dispense with Andrew Strauss for the addition of only five more runs to his overnight 72. Collingwood, though, was already into his stride, thieving his runs on the leg-side, and in Prior he found a bombastic ally, who has none the less shown an appetite for batting at this level.
For Collingwood, new responsibilities pending, it was further reinforcement, if any was needed, that he is a troubleshooter in the tradition, if not yet the accomplishment of, say, Steve Waugh for Australia, or Larry Gomes, a calming influence in the incendiary West Indies line-up two decades ago.
Guardian Service
Overnight: West Indies 287 (S Chanderpaul 136 no; R J Sidebottom 5-88).
England 121-4 (A J Strauss 72 no).
England: First Innings
A J Strauss c Ramdin b Edwards 77
P D Collingwood b Collymore 128
I R Bell c Morton b D B L Powell 11
M J Prior c D S Smith b Edwards 62
S J Harmison c Ganga b D B L Powell 9
R J Sidebottom not out 26
M S Panesar b D B L Powell 4
Extras b5 lb8 w15 nb23 pens 0 51
... ---
Total (100 overs) 400
Fall: 1-37, 2-110, 3-119, 4-121, 5-133, 6-165, 7-334, 8-369, 9-369.
Bowling: Edwards 23-1-112-5; D B L Powell 32-6-89-3; Collymore 29-5-116-2; Gayle 9-3-25-0; Bravo 2-0-10-0; Samuels 5-0-35-0.
West Indies: Second Innings
C H Gayle not out 52
D S Smith lbw b Hoggard 0
D Ganga c Prior b Hoggard 6
R S Morton b Panesar 7
S Chanderpaul not out 16
Extras b1 w1 pens 0 2
... ---
Total 3 wkts (19.2 overs) 83
Fall: 1-7, 2-15, 3-38.
To Bat: D J Bravo, D Ramdin, M N Samuels, D B L Powell, C D Collymore, F H Edwards.
Bowling: Sidebottom 6-1-24-0; Hoggard 5-1-18-2; S J Harmison 3-0-22-0; Panesar 4-0-16-1; Pietersen 1.2-0-2-0.
