Moeen Ali's sparkling innings puts England on the front foot against West Indies

Joe Root, Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes and Moeen all followed Mark Stoneman past 50 in a collective show of strength which saw England declare 321 ahead on 490 for eight

Mooen Alli made 84 from 93 balls (Getty)

Another decisive contribution from Moeen Ali in what is proving to be a golden summer for the all-rounder manoeuvred England into a winning position on the fourth day of an intriguing second Test against West Indies.

The tourists, who will start the final day on five without loss in pursuit of 322 for victory, will believe they can still pull off the chase to level the series at 1-1 heading into next week’s final Test at Lord’s.

However, Moeen’s sparkling innings of 84, one of five half-centuries on a day that saw England declare on 490 for eight, felt like a match-defining intervention.

West Indies batsman Kraigg Brathwaite survives a confiedent appeal by the England fielders (Getty)

Against South Africa earlier this summer, Moeen had produced one of the best all-round performances in history when he became only the second Englishman behind Ian Botham to take at least 25 wickets and score more than 250 runs in a single Test series.

He had made a quiet start to this one against West Indies, taking three wickets and dismissed for a duck in his only innings of the first Test at Edgbaston.

However, the 30-year-old came to the fore once more here in Leeds when his team needed him the most.

England were leading by just 143 when their No8 arrived at the crease midway through the afternoon session.

It came during a spell of three wickets in five overs from the spin of Roston Chase that saw Ben Stokes, Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow depart to leave England struggling on 327 for seven, a lead of 158.

Ali celebrates his half century (Getty)

To say the match was in the balance at that stage was an understatement.

With Moeen the last of the recognised batsmen alongside Chris Woakes, England were in danger of throwing this Test away.

But by the time he departed an hour after tea, the advantage had stretched to 275.

At tea, with Joe Root’s team on 357 for seven, that lead had been 188.

But it was Moeen’s blistering 61 from 64 balls at the start of the evening session during a 117-run eighth-wicket stand with Woakes that swung the momentum of this contest firmly in the hosts’ favour.

Roston Chase celebrates the wicket of Jonny Bairstow (Getty)

Woakes, who finished the innings unbeaten on 61 - his third Test half-century - deserves a lot of credit as well.

Indeed, Root, Dawid Malan and Stokes also posted important half-centuries that helped England convert their slender overnight lead of two into something rather more significant.

In the end, though, England probably wouldn’t be where they are in this match without the brilliance of Moeen.

West Indies, although still in with a chance of gaining their first Test victory in England since 2000, will rue their fielding and misfortune.

Two more catches went down on this fourth day – Bairstow dropped on 13 and Malan on 32 – to take their number in this match to seven.

Dawid Malan is bowled by Roston Chase (Getty)

The total cost of those drops stands at an eye-watering 235 runs.

West Indies will also point to a poor decision early in the evening session when Moeen was caught behind off the leg-spin of Devendra Bishoo on 32 only to be reprieved by the no-ball called by umpire Sundaram Ravi.

Replays showed it was tight but Bishoo did have part of his foot behind the line. His heel may have been in the air but that is still legal. Had the wicket stood England would have been 374 for eight and leading by 215 with only two wickets left.

As it was Moeen cashed in on that good fortune to change the game.

Root had also made the most of his opportunity when dropped on 10 the previous evening.

Shannon Gabriel bowls on the fourth day of the second Test (Getty)

By the time he was dismissed for 72 on the fourth morning, England, who had resumed on 171 for three, led by 43.

Root will be disappointed he failed to convert a half-century for the 32nd time in his career but his stand of 118 with Malan proved critical to his team’s comeback in this Test after they had begun their second innings with a 169-run deficit.

Malan’s innings of 61 – lasting four hours and 39 minutes before he was bowled by Chase - was not pretty.

But a second half-century in as many Tests has done his chances of making this winter’s Ashes tour no harm.

Malan fell shortly after a rather more dynamic contribution from Stokes was terminated on 58 by a poor shot straight to long on to the first ball following the afternoon drinks break.

Bairstow also fell to an injudicious stroke, bowled reverse-sweeping Chase, to leave England in trouble.

Moeen, though, then took over and England ended the day on top even if they were unable to make a breakthrough in the six overs they bowled at West Indies’ openers.

It seems inevitable perhaps that both Moeen and James Anderson, three short of 500 Test wickets, will have a big say on the final day.