Batsmen revive the spirit of Dunkirk

At lunchtime they were talking of Trevor Bailey and Willie Watson and Graham Gooch, England heroes of past recoveries and desperate last ditches. The English love the spirit of Dunkirk.

This time it was Graham Thorpe and Robin Smith, whose stand of 85 in 32 overs, in the face of sustained fast, short-pitched bowling on a far from trustworthy pitch, gave England a chance of winning this second Test and levelling the series.

Thorpe had been hit on the helmet by a beamer - a high full toss - from Courtney Walsh in Saturday's gloom and, concussed, had been taken to hospital.

Yesterday, after another brave three hours at the crease for 42, he told his story: "I never saw the ball that hit me. I was looking towards the keeper when I felt the blow. It was difficult to spot the slower ball, coming on top of the screen and out of the trees.

"I had an X-ray and the standard tests and Courtney apologised when I had a net this morning. I never had a doubt that I would be able to go in again - like my Dad always said, when you fall off a bike, get straight back on again.

"I've still got a headache and I need a new helmet, but it was nice to get a round of applause this morning, before I'd done anything."

Smith was under fire for six hours in all and afterwards held up his hands to show his bruises, two fingers on the left hand, one on the right. "The pitch has not deteriorated as much as we would have liked," he said.

"The cracks have not widened but are still there and the top won't get any better. The key now is Lara, because he scores so quickly but he also gives you a chance. We should have had another wicket tonight. It's up to us to bowl tight and the dressing-room is still confident."

Commenting on his own innings, Smith said: "If we win I'll always remember it. If we lose it will be just another 90. Yes, I would have liked the other 10 runs, but I'd have settled for 90 at the start. The bowling was relentless, pushing you further and further back. Perhaps I should have gone forward more often."

It was a rare day: brilliant weather; a fourth packed house; the editor of Wisden mislaid his panama hat; a streaker appeared; and a disgruntled Yorkshireman offered a means of curtailing Lara's flow of runs - "Make him our overseas professional."