One of cricket's long-standing records could fall this weekend as England goes into the third test against West Indies in Barbados on the brink of an historic triumph.

　　Not since 1968 has England won a series in the Caribbean.

　　But after its convincing victories in Jamaica and Trinidad anything other than defeat will be enough to give the touring side an unassailable lead in the four-match series.

　　Confident and rested, England is unchanged for the third consecutive match, while injury doubts and worries over form have again hampered West Indies' preparations. "It's obviously a huge positive for the team to be unchanged again," captain Michael Vaughan said.

　　"I think it's probably the first time since Pakistan (in 2000/1)."

　　Knowing that a draw will be enough, the temptation might be for England to protect its lead with a defensive display. Not so, said Vaughan.

　　"We are trying to win the game," he said. "I don't think playing for draws is a good way for us to play.

　　"We are 2-0 up and it would be a great achievement (to win the series), but no one has been talking about it and as I keep saying, there's a lot of cricket to be played in this series yet."

　　It is a mark of just how far West Indies have fallen that captain Brian Lara, who has amassed just 31 runs in four innings, should single out former England skipper Nasser Hussain as a role model for his own faltering batsmen.

　　Whereas Lara traditionally attacks in the manner that helped West Indies dominate the game throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Hussain digs in, something that the home side failed miserably to do in Jamaica, when they were dismissed for their lowest ever score of 47.

　　"We have not been able to put a game together - we've had some brilliant individual performances but not an entire game," Lara said.

　　"That's been our problem. "A perfect example is Nasser Hussain. I think he batted 80 overs for 58 runs (in Trinidad) - that might not be exactly what he wanted personally but he did it for the team. That's what we need to do."

　　Lara, who dislocated the little finger on his right hand in the first test, said he was confident of regaining the form which has made him one of the world's top-rated batsmen.

　　"I feel a lot better," he said. "I have worked really hard in the last few days and am confident going into this match."

　　There is still doubt as to whether fast bowler Fidel Edwards, recalled to the home squad after injury, will be able to last the full five days while opening batsman Devon Smith again missed practice on Wednesday with a finger injury.

　　Ryan Hinds, who made 84 in the first innings in Jamaica but who missed the second test with a stomach virus, could return.

　　(Reuters)