Rob Smyth in the Guardian revisits the winter of 1989-90, when England took on West Indies in the Caribbean, during which they came remarkably close to winning the Test series against the all-powerful hosts.

West Indies won 2-1, although England deserved at least a draw and could have won the series. By the end of the series half the batting line-up were soldiering on with broken bones. Failure, if that's what it was, doesn't come much more heroic. And it was a fair trade to lose the series in return for the win at Jamaica. The memories of that Test will always keep us warm.