Butcher and Hussain battle it out

England 54 for 2 (Hussain 20*, Butcher 25*) trail West Indies 208 (Gayle 62, Harmison 6-61) by 154 runs
Scorecard

England were once again indebted to the experience of Mark Butcher and Nasser Hussain, as West Indies enjoyed the better of what little play was possible on another rain-blighted day in Trinidad. By the close, Butcher and Hussain had added 46 for England's third wicket, to re-establish their position after a batting blip in the morning session, in which Michael Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick had fallen inside the first four overs.

Both batsmen needed luck on a pitch that had been spruced up by a four-hour rain delay - Butcher was dropped on 20 by Shivnarine Chanderpaul at second slip, and Hussain survived two perilously close lbw shouts in successive balls from Corey Collymore - but in between whiles they cracked a selection of emphatic boundaries to push England back into a handy position.

Prior to the series, Hussain had rubbished the notion that his experience of the Caribbean would be his most valuable contribution, but England could not have done without his attritional approach, as the West Indian bowlers - led by Pedro Collins and the irrepressible Tino Best - did their utmost to revive their team's morale after another dispiriting batting performance.

Hussain was welcomed to the crease with a searing yorker from Best, and had not scored when the rains swept in shortly before the lunch break. But on the resumption, he heaved Best for a thumping one-bounce four over square leg, before reverting to his familiar nuggety approach. Butcher was more free-flowing through the off side, but he too had his difficulties, particularly when faced with the less-than-adequate sightscreen at the pavilion end.

If England had been expecting a rough ride, Vaughan and Trescothick's body language certainly didn't betray any anxieties as they strode out to launch England's innings. But before the first over had been completed, Vaughan had been nailed with a classic two-card trick by Collins, who took the new ball in the absence of his injured half-brother, Fidel Edwards. His first delivery slid past the outside edge; the second curved straight back into Vaughan's front pad to trap him plumb lbw for 0, and at 2 for 1, England had been given an unpleasant jolt.

It got worse before it got better. Trescothick continued his poor run of form with a wretched innings that eventually ended with a lobbed pull straight to Adam Sanford at square leg. In mitigation, the delivery from Best was timed at 93.1mph - the fastest ball of the day - but Trescothick had already survived two chances off consecutive deliveries. He was given not out by umpire Bowden after gloving Best down the leg side, before Dwayne Smith dropped a firm slash at gully.

Although Butcher and Hussain stabilised England in the evening session, the day's honours went to West Indies. They had resumed on 189 for 8, with all their hopes resting on Ridley Jacobs, whose unbeaten 29 on Friday had prevented a complete meltdown of their innings. But not for the first time, Jacobs was at fault in another shambolic piece of running, when he was seduced into a second run by Ashley Giles's slight fumble, and was well beaten by a bullet of a throw to Chris Read (202 for 9).

Steve Harmison, England's man of the moment, soon wrapped up proceedings with his 15th wicket of the series, to finish with the superb figures of 6 for 61. But for a no-ball, he might have trapped Collymore first ball, but he eventually had his man - comprehensively bowled as he swished across the line. From 100 for 0, West Indies had been bowled out for 208, and England already scented a big first-innings lead. But as things turned out, the struggle for ascendancy isn't over just yet.