Captain Michael Vaughan completed a fluent 140 for England to draw the fourth cricket test on Wednesday and inflict the worst home series defeat against the West Indies in almost 50 years.
After trailing on the first innings by 466 runs, England was 422 for five when West Indies captain Brian Lara conceded the draw with a half-hour remaining at the Antigua Recreation Ground.
Before 3,000 English fans, Vaughan lifted the Wisden Trophy his side had retained after winning the second test in Trinidad. The third-test victory in Barbados secured England's first series victory in the Caribbean since 1968, and the draw made sure England completed only the second 3-0 win on West Indies soil, after the 1955 Australian side.
PHOTO: AFP
"I hope everyone is as happy as we are at the minute," Vaughan said. "It's a fantastic achievement and throughout the series all our players have contributed.
"It's a historic occasion. We're a pretty young side. There are a lot of players who can play for five or six more years. We must just build on this performance and drive on for the New Zealand series [at home] in the summer."
Lara's record 400 not out propped up the West Indies' 751-5 declared, and after England was bowled out for 285, Lara enforced the follow-on, but fell five wickets short of a consolation win.
PHOTO: AFP
"All I want my record to do is bring a little bit more cohesiveness in the West Indies, in our team and in our people," Lara said. "I would like to see us come together.
Vaughan, 61 overnight, lashed 20 boundaries off 268 balls in almost six hours in posting his 11th test century in his 45th match.
Marcus Trescothick (88) just missed out on a ton of his own, and there were half-centuries for Mark Butcher (61) and Nasser Hussain (56).
When England lost three wickets for 42 runs to the part-time spinners in the final session, the home team sniffed an unlikely win.
But Graham Thorpe (23 not out) and Geraint Jones (10 not out) steadied the visitors' nerves to ensure the West Indies would not force a consolation win.
Leg-spinner Ramnaresh Sarwan took two for 26 and Ryan Hinds claimed 2-83 to lead the local bowling.
Vaughan and opening partner Trescothick resumed at 145 without loss with both in sight of three figures. Vaughan continued from 61 while left-hander Trescothick was on 74.
The Somerset man reeled off two boundaries as he closed in on a sixth test hundred in his 47th match. But 12 runs short he scooped a slower ball from pacer Fidel Edwards to short extra cover.
Trescothick and Vaughan added 182 for the first wicket, a test best between the pair, beating the 168 they racked against Sri Lanka in 2002 at Lord's.
Trescothick batted four hours and faced 188 balls in a knock spiced with 10 boundaries.
The two teams now head to Guyana, where a seven-match one-day international series begins on Sunday.
PAKISTAN VESUS INDIA
Rahul Dravid continued India's march toward a big first innings lead Thursday as Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar ruptured his back muscle and did not bowl before lunch on the third day of the third and decisive cricket test.
India progressed to 414 for five at the break, with Dravid setting his sights on a double century and batting on 165. Yuvraj Singh, century-maker in the second test, was unbeaten on 13. India had an overall lead of 190 runs after Pakistan was dismissed for 224.
Dravid, who came to the crease at the fall of Virender Sehwag's wicket late on the first day, continued to show immense concentration. His nine and a half hour knock has featured 22 boundaries from 389 deliveries.
India lost captain Sourav Ganguly in the first session to a run out after the visitors resumed their first innings at the overnight score of 342 for four.
Akhtar had to leave the field an hour before close of play Wednesday due to an injured left thumb. The speedster later complained of a severe pain in his back and was diagnosed to have ruptured his back muscle. It was unclear whether Akhtar would bowl in the rest of the Indian first innings.
Dravid combined with Ganguly to compile a 131-run fifth wicket stand in just under three hours, before Imran Farhat terminated the partnership by running out the Indian skipper.
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