At least, and at last, some gumption, some of the fight that had gone out of the West Indies as early as the first afternoon of the first Test when they spilled six catches and allowed England to break free from a precarious position.
It could not prevent the first defeat in 10 Tests, since the loss to Australia in Barbados last June, and the first in three days since South Africa wrapped things up similarly quickly in Durban five months earlier. But it helped to relieve a little of the distress and provide a welcome lift to low spirits for the second Test, starting a couple of hundred miles north in Chester-le-Street on Thursday.
Nor it did it come from the usual sources. Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, on whom the batting so frequently depends, could only contribute 46 between them to the effort this time.
The partnership that kept England waiting for two hours, 20 minutes through the sunlit afternoon featured Brendon Nash, as it often has since he made his way into the team in New Zealand in December, and Denesh Ramdin.
Nash, the little left-handed battler, has consistently responded to John Dyson’s repeated call for the lesser player to play their part. Ramdin’s obvious batting ability remains inconsistent. This was a timely boost for him.
They set out at 79 for five immediately before lunch after the kind of middle order collapse that had undermined the first innings.
After the overnight pair, Devon Smith and Lendl Simmons kept going for 50 minutes, Simmons, Chanderpaul and Smith succumbed in successive overs from Graham Onions and Graham Swann, the wreckers of the previous afternoon.
A swift and humiliating end seemed certain. The supposition was not eased as both Nash and Ramdin passed through an initial half-hour or so of pure purgatory.
Nash’s first runs, an edged boundary, came by courtesy of a sharp catch missed at third slip, a rarity for England as much as it was common place for the West Indies. He took a heavy blow to the left glove from Onions and sparred uncertainly outside off-stump more than once.
Ramdin missed more than he hit but neither would be moved. Gradually, they settled and exposed the limitations of the England bowling as the swing and cut diminished under a sky that cleared to clear blue after the rain and gloom of the morning delayed the start for an hour.
As their confidence grew with the realisation of the improved conditions, they attacked the suddenly loose bowling.
As usual, Nash prospered through the off-side from his favourite cuts and drives although he was also adept off his legs.
Ramdin, full of uncertainty after his wretched sequence of low scores on tour, blossomed into the strokemaker he was during his maiden hundred at Kensington Oval in February.
Except for the sunshine, of course, Lord’s bore little resemblance to Kensington. There was a chill in the air, a stiff breeze at the back of the fast bowlers and just the occasional movement and bounce from the pitch.
But the boundaries began to flow on a rapid outfield – the two eventually counted 27 between them – and the prospect of an extension into a fourth day grew. Perhaps even a ticklish last innings chase for England, as well.
Andrew Strauss rung the bowling changes, even introducing Ravi Bopara’s friendly medium-pace for a couple of overs but just when something extraordinary was developing, with the partnership worth 143 and just three required to make England bat again, Ramdin faltered.
A misjudgement of line from Chris Broad resulted in an ugly attempt at a nondescript shot. The ball got past an angled bat to hit off-stump. There the resistance ended. As in the first innings, a clatter of wickets followed.
No one could hold steady and the last four went down for 34 to Swann and Broad. Nash’s was the last, a lifted cut swirling to backward point stationed near the boundary.
The last man, Lionel Baker, was in with him but it was a needless way to end his three and a half hours resistance.
