Shivnarine Chanderpaul hit an undefeated 81 to help West Indies to close on 301 for 5 against England on Sunday and take the third Test into the final day.
West Indies still need 154 more runs to produce an unlikely record victory and level the four-Test series, which England lead 1-0. West Indies began the fourth day at Old Trafford on 22-1, chasing a total of 455.
"We're very aware of how we played today and how effective our method was," West Indies coach David Moore said.
PHOTO: AFP
Chanderpaul came to the crease with West Indies 88-3 just before lunch and added 73 runs with Runako Morton for the fourth wicket, 88 with Dwayne Bravo and finished the day with Denesh Ramdin, who was 26 not out.
"This is the way we should be batting all the time," Moore said. "Measured, consistent."
West Indies are bidding to beat their own Test record for a fourth-innings chase of 418, set in their three-wicket win over Australia in St John's, Antigua, in May 2003. Chanderpaul scored 104 in that match.
Chanderpaul, West Indies' best batsman this series, reached his 43rd Test 50 shortly before tea. He was dropped at mid-off by Monty Panesar while on 18.
He reached his second half century of the match with a four off a no ball from Steve Harmison. Chanderpaul also survived a shout for leg before wicket by Ryan Sidebottom on 62.
Ramdin batted despite being hit in the face by an offspinner from Chris Gayle when wicketkeeping without a helmet late on Saturday. He and Chandepaul brought up the 300 for West Indies shortly before stumps to warm applause from the crowd and added an unbeaten 52 for the sixth wicket.
Bravo, who was close to being run out while on six, had another scare on 24. He cut Liam Plunkett to Paul Collingwood in the gully, who dived for a very low catch. England celebrated but Bravo refused to walk.
Umpires Billy Bowden and Aleem Dar had a lengthy discussion, without consulting the television umpire, before allowing Bravo to stay. Replays suggested the ball hit the ground before Collingwood caught it.
Bravo fell one run short of his half century when he gloved a delivery from Panesar to Alastair Cook for an easy catch at short leg.
Morton reached his third Test 50 with two runs off Panesar, but only added four more runs before the spinner trapped him lbw.
Harmison said that West Indies deserved credit for their performance.
"The way they played, and the position they're in the series, I think everyone just expected them to roll over and for us to walk through them," Harmison said. "But give Chanderpaul and Bravo and the lads some credit, they've dug in and fought for another day."
The match has featured 153 extras so far, the second highest in Test history. With one day to go, the Test has produced 47 byes, 36 leg byes, 29 wides, 36 no balls and five penalty runs.
The highest ever was 173 in the first Test between West Indies and Pakistan in Barbados in February 1977. That match featured 37 byes, 31 leg byes, two wides and 103 no balls.
Gayle lasted only six overs on Sunday, reaching 16 before he edged a delivery from Harmison to Collingwood at second slip to leave West Indies 35-2.
Harmison had also dismissed opener Daren Ganga for a duck late on Saturday.
Smith reached 42 before he turned a sharply bouncing delivery from Panesar to Cook at short leg.
A win by England would secure the series ahead of the fourth and final Test in Chester-le-Street, Durham, starting on Friday.
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