England set for final day charge
| By Jamie Lillywhite |
 England hopes rest on Pietersen's ability to score significant runs quickly |
England retained hopes of squaring the series after closing day four of the final Test with a lead of 82 at 80-3.
They could not take a wicket before lunch as Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Brendan Nash shared 234 in 82 overs.
Nash scored a maiden Test century and Chanderpaul, having been given out on 92 only to stay in after a referral, was unbeaten on 147 in a total of 544.
England lost two wickets in the first six overs but their bid rests with Kevin Pietersen who made a positive 34.
Chanderpaul's 21st Test hundred, achieved despite a niggling groin injury, was the third of the innings and brought his team's number of centuries in the series level with England at eight apiece.
It helped to ensure, however, that the most significant scoreline, that of 1-0 to the West Indies, will stay unchanged.
England's endeavour could not be denied, but the extra ingredients of luck and a little bit of magic evaded them.
Wicketkeeper Matt Prior had another difficult day, there was not quite the level of leaping around in both directions as on Sunday, but the total of byes steadily grew to 35, only two short of the Test record held by Frank Woolley, who was only a part-time wicketkeeper.
However, in Monty Panesar's second over an inside edge from Chanderpaul bounced in and out of Prior's gloves.
Stuart Broad typified the effort of the bowlers and gave every ounce of energy to get the ball to rise from the placid surface over the batsman's head, only for umpire Daryl Harper to call it a wide.
 Chanderpaul's patient innings delayed England's push for victory |
A fair degree of consternation ensued and skipper Andrew Strauss was asked by umpire Harper to talk to his irate paceman.
Strauss decided to take him off, probably to ensure the safety of the official as much as anything else.
The morale-sapping partnership was finally broken in the second over after lunch when Nash fished outside the off-stump at Broad and Paul Collingwood took a smart catch at a wide second slip.
Ten balls later England thought they had removed the other thorn in their side when Harper gave Chanderpaul out caught behind as Swann pitched one in the perfect area.
But Chanderpaul referred the decision and after a lengthy delay, television official Aleem Dar saw something that perhaps the majority did not and advised that the decision should be overturned.
Graeme Swann, with nice flight and turn had an excellent appeal for lbw against Ryan Hinds rejected, and quickly saw his anxiety increase when the tall left-hander adopted a more positive approach and thumped one over long-on into the upper tier.
Swann deservedly got his man when he lured Hinds out of his crease and Prior executed a neat stumping.
James Anderson produced a superb spell, finding some reverse swing in both directions and trapped Denesh Ramdin lbw on the stroke of tea.
That signalled the return of Chris Gayle after injury, and Anderson would hardly have relished the most difficult of chances offered by the West Indies captain which went above the level of the stands over his
Frustration grew for Anderson when Collingwood, having moved in closer at slip to allow for the lack of carry, could understandably not react quickly enough to what in effect was a late cut off the middle of the bat by Chanderpaul.
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Last man Lionel Baker, after padding up to a straight ball, remembered one referral was still unused and thought he might yet have the chance for his first Test run, but the appeal was unsuccessful.
England were left with 18 overs in which to begin their pursuit of quick runs and were surprised to see Gayle not only leading his team out but coming on to bowl after four overs.
Still the referrals came. There was a huge noise as Strauss flashed at one that fizzed through to the keeper off paceman Lionel Baker.
Beleaguered umpire Harper gave it not out, but the West Indies were convinced the sound could be nothing other than an edge so appealed, but umpire Dar up in the box could not find enough of a reason to overturn the decision.
Strauss did not last much longer and chipped a simple return catch to Gayle, while Owais Shah clearly edged in similar fashion to his captain, but this time was given out by umpire Harper.
Ever purposeful, Pietersen appeared the relish the situation from the moment he bounded out to the wicket.
One wild stroke when he marched down the wicket skewed between the fielders but a mammoth sweep for six will give England followers dreams of something remarkable on Tuesday.
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