The deluge that England knew and feared inevitably would come from the bat of Brian Lara duly did so on a glorious day at the Recreation Ground. Close to a century overnight, the West Indies captain reached a chanceless double century midway through the afternoon session, and as the evening drew on completed his triple as the home side piled on the runs that seem increasingly likely to prevent an England clean sweep in the series.
After more than 10 hours batting Lara had reached 313, already his second highest score in Tests, as West Indies reached 595 for five at close of play. It was the seventh double hundred of his career and only Walter Hammond can match it; Bradman alone, with 12, has more. He reached it in dramatic fashion, taking advantage of a new spell from Gareth Batty after the second new ball had brought the wickets of Ramnaresh Sarwan, for 90, and Ricardo Powell for 23. Lara, on 189, advanced down the pitch to the first ball and drilled it high, straight and out of the ground, taking several minutes to retrieve. The next delivery was on the left-hander's leg stump and swept crisply to the square-leg boundary. Finally, a single tickled round the corner took him to his landmark, greeted with a jump and punch of the air. For all the criticism levelled at him, Lara remains a genuinely great player and this was his fourth hundred and second double in his last nine Tests.
Andy Roberts, who supervised the preparation of the pitch, was walking around with a smile on his face yesterday. On Friday, while the England pace bowlers were completing their preparations on an adjacent pitch, the great fast bowler gave a brilliant impromptu masterclass to anyone who cared to listen. Implicit in it was the fact that he does not believe life should be made too easy for bowlers and that in adverse conditions it is only the best who stand up to be counted. But this pitch is a killer, responding thus far to the new ball and little else.
It is significant that the best two sets of match figures in 18 games at the Recreation Ground are by Wasim Akram (11 for 110 early in 2000) and Waqar Younis (nine for 127 seven years earlier), the pair of them arguably the game's greatest exponents of reverse swing on unhelpful surfaces.
Before play began on Saturday, Mike Atherton and Angus Fraser, both of whom were playing when Lara made his then world record score of 375 here, thought the pitch looked much the same, a worrying observation when it was revealed that England would have bowled first had Michael Vaughan won the toss, to exploit early movement and fragile batting. It would, it transpired, have been wishful thinking.
Andy Flintoff got rid of Daren Ganga readily enough, and Chris Gayle, after a robust half-century, chipped a gentle catch back to Gareth Batty right on lunch. But by the close of a day shortened by heavy afternoon rain, Lara was in sight of his century, Sarwan was established and West Indies had laid the founda tions for a second day of drudgery for the England bowlers.
Yesterday presented an even better opportunity for scoring than had the first day. The humidity that had preceded the heavy rain showers had disappeared with a change in the wind, which blew steadily from the north. Any semblance of moisture in the pitch had long since evaporated, with the surface bleached. As Chicky's disco started to rock the Double Decker Stand, West Indies fans knew, for the first time in the series, they might have something about which to cheer.
Lara, in conditions such as these and against bowling shorn of much of its threat, is virtually unstoppable. He set his benchmark from the day's first ball, fullish of length from Matthew Hoggard, which was drilled to the extra-cover boundary. Within 25 minutes, aided by another boundary flicked deftly through midwicket and two runs angled to third man, he had completed the 25th century of his career and his seventh against England. It left behind the 24 hundreds scored by Sir Vivian Richards, and of West Indians only his mentor, Sir Garry Sobers, who made 26 centuries, is still ahead of him.
The century, made in 15 minutes over three hours, contained 13 fours and was chanceless, the only moment of doubt coming on Saturday morning before he had scored. But the spontaneous and exuberant appeal for a catch at the wicket was turned down by Darrell Hair and Lara survived.
The West Indies captain had reached 127 when next he gave England a glimmer of hope. The boundary towards Chicky is shorter than many and easy to misjudge, so that Lara was forced to get the whip out as he attempted a second run to Hoggard at third man. The throw was hard and straight - a direct hit - so that England thought they had got their man. But the replay showed the batsman to be home by inches.
Sarwan, meanwhile, had been slow to start but a cover drive took him to his half-century and with the introduction of Batty, and his off-spin, he opened out, pulling a boundary to midwicket and then leaping from his crease to slam him high into the top tier of the Andy Roberts Stand.
With lunch 25 minutes away, Lara passed his 150, and with the score 324 for two Vaughan decided to take the new ball. In its fourth over, England gained their first success in almost 24 hours. Steve Harmison's extra bounce with the hard ball deceived Sarwan and Trescothick at first slip took the chance comfortably. The third-wicket stand had produced 232, however, the sixth highest for any wicket on this ground.
Lara and Powell then added 50 for the next wicket before Powell attempted to hook Jones and top edged a catch that Nasser Hussain held at deep third man, leaving West Indies at 380 for four. A fifth wicket stand of 89 followed, ending when Ryan Hinds, on 36, chipped a return catch to Batty giving him his second wicket.