England's new-ball attack restored pride and credibility with a hostile fightback befitting of Lord's 100th Test on a dramatic second day against West Indies.

On the day the MCC had decided to honour Lord's 10 greatest performances with a lunchtime presentation ceremony, England rose to incredible heights to dismiss West Indies for their third-lowest Test total in history as 21 wickets fell in the day.

Using traditional West Indies tactics, peppering the batsmen with short deliveries and employing open hostility, Darren Gough and Andrew Caddick made amends for yet another batting collapse which may leave their magnificent efforts redundant to the eventual outcome of the Test.

Having taken just one ball to end West Indies' first innings, Caddick dismissing Courtney Walsh lbw with the opening delivery of the day, England plunged back into trouble by slumping to 134 all out and handing the tourists a 133-run advantage.

Whether it was anger at their batsmen's failings or just pure adrenaline, Gough and Caddick responded with possibly their greatest performance since linking up on a regular basis as England's new-ball pairing.

Gough claimed two for 17, bowling with a pace which even West Indies' quartet of fast bowlers could not match.

But Caddick was even more impressive, claiming five for seven in the space of 59 balls as West Indies slumped to 54 all out in just 128 dramatic minutes.

They managed only 24 scoring shots before, fortunately for England, bad light ended play on nought without loss after just seven balls as they began the daunting chase for the 188 runs required for a remarkable victory - a total they have not reached in the previous two innings against West Indies this summer.

Caddick's early breakthrough began an amazing chain of events which owed just as much to the batsmen's shortcomings as it did to the great bowling performances which littered the day.

From the moment Mark Ramprakash pushed tentatively forward to Curtly Ambrose, edging to Brian Lara at first slip off the sixth ball of England's first innings, it seemed to send panic through his teammates in the dressing room.

Michael Atherton followed suit by pushing away from his body six balls later and edging Walsh to Lara.

Michael Vaughan continued the pattern of batting errors by failing to push forward and being bowled by Ambrose off an inside edge and pad to leave England on nine for three and in danger of complete capitulation.

Only three of England's top seven - Graeme Hick, Alec Stewart and Craig White - were able to make it into double figures on a pitch which suggested that application and determination would reap rewards.

To sum up England's disastrous batting display, they even managed to contrive an almost comical run-out to end White's promising innings of 27, Dominic Cork pushing straight to Jimmy Adams at cover before setting off on an almost suicidal single.

Their innings over for less than 200 for the 36th time in their last 63 Tests, England's bowlers knew they had to deliver to prevent West Indies taking a stranglehold on the Test and the series.

The response was emphatic and magnificent, begun by a transformed Caddick whose pace was quicker than we have seen in any of the previous three Tests this summer.

He set the tone by making the important breakthrough in the fourth over, but Gough was equally as responsible for lifting England with a superb diving catch in the deep after Sherwin Campbell had slashed on the up over the slip cordon.

Two balls later Caddick struck again with a fiercely-lifting delivery which hit Wavell Hinds on his glove, rebounded onto his helmet and looped in the air for Ramprakash to take a simple catch at short leg.

England were now buoyant and Gough had Adrian Griffith caught behind before the key wicket fell to Caddick, Lara edging to Cork in the gully having been intimidated by a series of bouncers.

With West Indies' best batsman back in the dressing room, England increased the tempo with Chanderpaul also being caught by Ramprakash attempting to fend off a Gough bouncer and Caddick snapping up top scorer Ridley Jacobs (12) and Curtly Ambrose in successive overs with catches close to the wicket.

It was left to Cork, whose aggression on the opening day ensured West Indies had collapsed from a promising 162 for one, to finish off the innings with three wickets in his final two overs.

The magnificent display had come at a price, however, with Nick Knight retreating to hospital for a precautionary x-ray on his right index finger having failed to hold a sharp chance in the slips.

Bowling hero Caddick predicts a tough job ahead today.

Caddick said: ''Saturday is going to be a hard slog for the boys and that target of 188 is going to be a big total to get. It's got to be confidence, patience and focus - that 188 will be like a 350 total.

''Before we went out to bowl for a second time 133 behind, we said we could either lay down and let them walk all over us and go 2-0 up in the series.

''Or we can come out fighting and you never know what could happen, never lie down. We didn't do that and we came out on top. But I'm sure the West Indies think they can win.