Mahmood: Seeing team-mates ready to field spurred on last-wicket partnership

Saqib Mahmood proved his team-mates wrong for a lack of faith as his last-wicket stand with Jack Leach helped rescue England on the opening day of the third Test against the West Indies.

Mahmood's first Test innings saw him share a stand of 90 with his fellow tailender, ushering the tourists to 204 all out after the top seven capitulated in the deciding Test in Grenada.

While he and Leach turned the third Test on its head, lifting England towards respectability from the brink of embarrassment, it was apparent that there was some doubt in the away dressing room.

As Mahmood came out to bat there was plenty of activity on the England balcony, with a handful of players emerging in their whites in preparation for seemingly imminent fielding duty.

Instead, they watched Mahmood and Leach bat together for almost two-and-a-half hours.

"We did spot that," he said. "I did say it to Leachy - 'the cheeky f****** have got their whites on'. It did spur us on a little bit.

"I had a glance over later to see if some had taken them off but they left the whites on throughout. It was good fun out there with Leachy, it was a case of being disciplined out there and hitting the bad ball. We knew they'd get to a stage where the sting was taken out of their attack.

"It could have easily fallen into pieces after the start we had in the first two sessions but we stuck at it well."

Mahmood was eventually dismissed in the final over of the day for 49 - his highest ever score in professional cricket and 15 more than his previous best in the first-class game.

Mahmood was in buoyant mood after his unexpected role with the bat, which included a first six in red-ball cricket.

Recalling the sweet strike off Kyle Mayers, who had earlier taken two wickets