Five wickets in the final session tilted the scales in England's favour, but having been reduced to 101 for four, West Indies were grateful to a brilliant 108 from Smith and a Test-best 84 from Ryan Hinds to bring them back into the first match of the four-Test series.

Smith smashed 18 boundaries in an innings that ended when he was stumped by Chris Read off the expensive Ashley Giles. The slow left-armer, Matthew Hoggard, Simon Jones and Steve Harmison took two wickets each and Andrew Flintoff weighed in with one.

Corey Collymore was not out three at the close, with fellow fast bowler Fidel Edwards on one.

On a good-looking pitch, West Indies captain Brian Lara won the toss but must have been ruing his decision to bat when Chris Gayle (five) and Ramnaresh Sarwan (nought) were dismissed within 40 minutes.

Gayle played back to Harmison and deflected the ball on to his stumps while Sarwan was trapped in front by Hoggard.

Lara arrived at the crease with a first-innings average against England in the Caribbean of 100, and after a few streaky boundaries, he looked to be finding his timing.

England attacked just outside his off stump in an attempt to entice a rash shot and it almost paid dividends when he lifted a ball from Jones, playing only his third Test and first since injuring his knee 16 months ago, just over Giles at cover point.

But the respite was only brief as Lara edged a Jones delivery to Flintoff, who took the easy catch at second slip, in the Glamorgan bowler's next over.

Smith, who hit eight of his boundaries before lunch, lost Shivnarine Chanderpaul, the second man to play on, for seven just after the interval, leaving West Indies tottering on 101 for four.

But Smith and Hinds produced some fine stroke play to lead the hosts' recovery.

Smith passed his previous best of 62, smashing Giles's first two balls for boundaries as the spinner conceded 20 from his first two overs.

England's bowlers worked hard for little reward as Smith and Hinds put on 122 for the fifth wicket, Smith bringing up his first test hundred with a pull through the leg side.

Hinds took up the attack after his dismissal and looked on course for his own century until he top-edged a sweep to Mark Butcher at short fine leg, having hit 12 boundaries in an innings lasting just 117 balls.

Ridley Jacobs hit a few lusty blows in a handy 37 before he became Jones's second victim, Adam Sanford lasted 17 balls before falling to Flintoff for one, and Tino Best equalled his Test best of 20 with an entertaining innings, including a magnificent straight six off Giles.

Scorecard

West Indies first innings

C.Gayle b Harmison 5
D.Smith st Read b Giles 108
R.Sarwan lbw b Hoggard 0
B.Lara c Flintoff b Jones 23
S.Chanderpaul b Hoggard 7
R.Hinds c Butcher b Giles 84
R.Jacobs c Vaughan b Jones 38
T.Best lbw Harmison 20
A.Sanford c Trescothick b Flintoff 1
C. Collymore not out 3
F. Edwards not out 1

Extras (lb-6 w-1 nb-14) 21

Total (for nine wickets, 84.4 overs) 311

Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-22, 3-73, 4-101, 5-223, 6-281, 7-289, 8-300, 9-307

Bowling: Hoggard 17.4-2-68-2 (nb-3), Harmison 20-5-61-2 (nb-4 w-1),
Flintoff 16-3-45-1 (nb-6), Jones 18-2-62-2, Giles 12-0-67-2,
Vaughan 1-0-2-0 (nb-1)

England: M.Vaughan, M.Trescothick, M.Butcher, N.Hussain, G.Thorpe,
A.Flintoff, C.Read, A.Giles, S.Jones, S.Harmison, M.Hoggard.