KINGSTON, March 13: Steady showers that started during tea foiled a century partnership between Mark Butcher and Nasser Hussain that helped England recover from a rocky start on the second day of the opening Test against West Indies at Sabina Park on Friday.
After being unsettled early by the pace and aggression of the West Indies' two youngest fast bowlers, Butcher and Hussain added 112 for the third wicket to lead England to 154 for three, replying to West Indies' first innings total of 311, before bad light stopped play 16.5 overs early.
Left-hander Butcher, with 58, and former England captain Hussain, unbeaten on 41, knuckled down in the afternoon session after surviving a spell of hostile bowling from Fidel Edwards and Tino Best before lunch.
"It was very, very tough out there because the West Indies bowled with a lot of pace and the pitch did not play easily either, so it was a real scrap," said Butcher who was dismissed shortly before the close of play.
However, West Indies celebrations were cut short when it was revealed skipper Brian Lara had dislocated the little finger on his right hand while attempting to catch Butcher.
He was undergoing an X-ray before a decision was made over whether or not he will be able to bat in his team's second innings.
"Edwards and Best are definitely a couple of quick guys and different as well because they are relatively short fast bowlers, so the ball skids through much more. It was a fairly decent way they attack us," added Butcher.
"But we were two down and the number three's job at times is to come in and try to steady the ship, so I was happy to do it and was fortunate to have a happy ending.
"We need to get close to their total and turn the match into a one innings contest. Then it will comwe down to who keeps their nerve," added Butcher whi had shaken off an ankle injury to play in the Test.
Butcher pummelled half a dozen boundaries from 139 balls in just over 3-1/4 hours for his 18th Test half-century, but he was fortunate Ramnaresh Sarwan failed to hold a sharp chance at short leg off Edwards when he was four.
After rain delayed the final period by an hour, Lara again unleashed his two young fast bowlers.
With the conditions now heavily in their favour, Butcher and Hussain were again fed a diet of hostile stuff.
Trying to free the shackles, Butcher drove loosely at a delivery from Edwards outside off-stump to be caught low down by keeper Ridley Jacobs, after Lara had put him down a few balls earlier at first slip off the same bowler.
That dropped catch led to Lara's injury.
Through it all, Hussain remained unflappable and struck five fours from 106 balls in just over 2-1/2 hours to help keep West Indies at bay on another absorbing day of cricket.
Both Butcher and Hussain battled bravely in the face of fiery bowling from Edwards and Best after England had slipped to 33 for two earlier in the day.
Both copped blows to the helmet, as well as up and down their bodies, but soldiered on diligently until the rains stepped in to throw them off course.
Edwards had already unsettled Marcus Trescothick with a flyer that flew over the head of Jacobs into the boundary for four and then produced an unplayable in-swinging yorker next ball to spectacularly send the left-hander's off-stump cart-wheeling.
Trescothick made just seven.
In his next over, Edwards had Michael Vaughan caught at first slip by Lara for 15, with the England skipper edging a drive at a well-pitched out-swinger.
Earlier, England needed a dozen balls to complete the demolition of West Indies' first innings without the addition of a run.
Matthew Hoggard had Edwards caught at second slip by Andrew Flintoff for one to become the visitors' most successful bowler with three wickets for 68 runs from 18.4 overs.
Steve Harmison, Simon Jones and left-arm spin bowler Ashley Giles all ended with two wickets.
England are looking to end a 36-year wait for a Test series victory over West Indies in the Caribbean.
Scoreboard
England (1st Innings)
M. Trescothick b Edwards 7
M. Vaughan c Lara b Edwards 15
M. Butcher c Jacobs b Edwards 58
N. Hussain not out 41
G. Thorpe not out 1
Extras (b4, lb16, w3, nb9) 32
Total (3 wkts, 48.1 overs) 154
Fall of wkts: 1-28, 2-33, 3-152
Bowling: Collymore 15-5-33-0 (4nb), Edwards 16-3-50-3 (5nb, 2w), Best 8.1-1-14-0 (1w), Sanford 7-0-30-0, Hinds 1-0-1-0, Gayle 1-0-6-0
To bat: A. Flintoff, C. Read, A. Giles, S. Jones, M. Hoggard, S. Harmison
Umpires: D. Harper, B. Bowden (TV Replays: E. Nicholls).
Match Referee: M. Procter.