Weather has the final say

After four days of international cricket at its best, the Manchester weather had the final say in the destiny of the third Test yesterday.

Having given England a minimum of 71 overs to make 293 to win after a declaration posted shortly past noon, West Indies had their ambitions thwarted by an opening stand of 61 from Mike Atherton and Marcus Trescothick, and by the curtains of drizzle that drifted across the ground.

There was some glowering and glaring from Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose as they cranked the pace up in a last-ditch effort to sneak an unlikely victory, but realistically, once the England openers had survived the early challenges, it became little more than a matter of scoring points to take forward to the fourth Test at Headingley on Thursday week.

Bad light brought proceedings to an end at 5.20 with England having reached 80 for one, of which Trescothick had made 38 with Nasser Hussain, badly dropped at the wicket off Walsh when one, on six.

The series remains tied at one match apiece, but there was a reminder too that Test match cricket is not just a one-act play. This match contained some exceptional performances: Alec Stewart's vivid century on his 100th appearance matched by Brian Lara's immaculate effort on Sunday; Darren Gough's wonderful fast bowling in the first innings, and that from Walsh and Ambrose, which matched their own highest standards; Hussain's phenomenal catch to dismiss Ambrose and his instinctive run-out of Lara; Walsh's incredible slower ball first up to Graham Thorpe which so bamboozled the batsman on his return to Test cricket that he sat in the dressing-room and laughed at the absurdity of it; and Trescothick's debut, which brought him 104 runs for once out and which, from an England perspective, was the most significant feature of the match.

Trescothick was placed in the furnace again yesterday and survived intact, displaying the admirably unflappable temperament and solid technique that had brought him to notice in the triangular tournament. Perhaps that tournament came at the right time, allowing him to display his credentials in one-day games without fear of failure.

Credit then to those who identified his potential and had the presence of mind to pick him. A part of the next generation appears to be in place.

By and large, although they suffered as West Indies racked up 438 for seven in their second innings, it was a good, workmanlike performance from an England team that is growing in confidence match by match. The top six have a look of authority all the way down (although Hussain's miserable run of scores continues) and the pace bowling, led by Gough, has a classy look to it, even if Andy Caddick's capacity to wilt when under the cosh appears undiminished.

West Indies can take encouragement from the match. A little more than a month ago they were humiliated at Lord's, bowled out for 54 when they had the match under control, and their performances in the one-day tournament were less than adequate.

But they fought back superbly here, not just through Lara's brilliance and that of Walsh and Ambrose, but through Jimmy Adams' diligence, and a return to something like form for Adrian Griffith. There was a statement of sorts too in the way that Wavell Hinds and then Lara pulled the short ball with gusto after the feeble attempts to cope with it at Lord's.

The back-up bowling remains poor, however, with Reon King and Franklyn Rose appearing to have neither the skill nor the appetite to take over the mantle from Walsh and Ambrose.