Ian Bell held firm for England against a revived West Indies on the first day of the third Test on Thursday.
At stumps, England were 296-7, having started the final session on 167-5 at Old Trafford after West Indies, 1-0 down in the four-Test series, had enjoyed a rare spell of dominance.
Bell was 77 not out and Stephen Harmison unbeaten on two.
Together with Matt Prior (40), Bell put on 98 for the sixth wicket in 26 overs.
Fast bowler Corey Collymore led the West Indies attack with 2-44 from 20 overs.
Warwickshire’s Bell struck some eye-catching drives on his way to a 99-ball fifty with 10 fours while Prior, content to play a supporting role, attacked anything loose when given the chance.
But just when it seemed Prior would bat through to the close, he got carried away and tried to hook medium-pacer Dwayne Bravo’s looping bouncer from above shoulder height and was caught at mid-wicket by Runako Morton.
The wicket-keeper faced 66 balls with seven fours but, with England 264-6, West Indies were back in the match.
A lively pitch, offering assistance to fast bowlers and shot makers alike, lured recalled quick Fidel Edwards, who delivered a wasteful 10 no balls on his way to 1-75, into the trap of bowling too short.
But when he pitched one up with the new ball, Liam Plunkett, backing away, was bowled middle stump for 13.
England, well placed on 112-1 at lunch, saw Collymore take two wickets for nine runs to spark a collapse.
They resumed with opener Alastair Cook 51 not out and England captain Michael Vaughan 40 not out.
Vaughan had added just one to his score before he was bowled by a full-length Collymore delivery that nipped back.
It was a much-needed wicket for the West Indies, being captained in a Test for the first time by Daren Ganga after Ramnaresh Sarwan sustained a tour-ending shoulder injury while fielding during England’s innings and 283-run second-Test win at Headingley — West Indies’ heaviest Test innings loss.
Vaughan faced 99 balls with six fours, sharing a stand of 104 with Cook.
He returned to modest applause having received a mixed reception when he came out to bat following his newspaper criticisms of injured all-rounder and local hero Andrew Flintoff for his pedalo escapade at the World Cup.
Vaughan’s exit brought in Kevin Pietersen, looking for a third hundred in as many innings after his 109 in the drawn first Test at Lord’s and a Test-best 226 at Headingley.
But Collymore dug one in and Pietersen, on nine, saw a spliced hook go straight to Bravo at deep square leg.
And 132-3 became 132-4 when Cook’s square-cut was well caught by Bravo, diving forward at point, to give debutant pace bowler Darren Sammy his first Test wicket.
Cook’s 60 came off 121 balls with 10 fours, but the West Indies were very much in the game.
Earlier, Andrew Strauss’s poor run continued when he was lbw for six to Jerome Taylor after Vaughan won the toss.
Strauss has now gone 16 Test innings without a hundred, averaging just above 26 in that period.
England were unchanged from the team that won at Headingley but West Indies made three changes with the fit-again Shivnarine Chanderpaul in for Sarwan, Sammy for Sylvester Joseph and Edwards for Daren Powell. — Sapa-AFP