ST JOHN'S, April 9: England have the opportunity to complete an unprecedented Test series clean sweep on Caribbean soil in the fourth and final cricket Test against West Indies, starting at the Antigua Recreation Ground on Saturday.

Michael Vaughan's side lead the four-Test series 3-0, after comprehensive victories at Kingston, Port-of-Spain and Bridgetown that allowed them to retain the Wisden Trophy, symbol of supremacy between the two sides, and made them the first England team to win a Test series in the Caribbean for 36 years.

"We have played some good cricket and we hope to continue that," Vaughan said. "If we prepare well, that's what we will be looking to do - to win the next game. "If we win in Antigua, obviously, it is the first time it's ever been done. We are just looking to continue with the momentum where we left off in Barbados.

"We are just trying to play well and work hard. The teams are evenly matched. West Indies are very talented and we have just managed to come through a couple of tough sessions. That's has been the difference." Far greater awaits Vaughan and his mates if Brian Lara's side once more fails to come to the party for the most significant Test match of their lives.

Last year, Australia were like England. They had won the preceding three Tests at Georgetown, Port-of-Spain and Bridgetown, but West Indies managed to wriggle free from their firm grip to post the highest fourth innings winning total in the history of Test cricket at this venue.

"That's a hook line the guys have brought into the match - that we have been successful here recently and if we look at our performances in Antigua it must be a happy hunting ground for the West Indies team, so that's something that also gives them confidence," West Indies manager Tony Howard said.

He added: "Once you have been beaten three games in a row, there is always going to be that area of doubt. But certainly there are certain mechanisms you can use to get back the confidence. "You need to get the team spirit back up. You need to get the guys working together and we have seen a lot of that in the last couple of days."

West Indies will require a performance equal of last year's in this year's Test from their batsmen to avoid the ignominy of a series clean sweep to a side that has twice suffered a similar fate at their hands in 1984 and 1985-86.

Test series clean sweeps have become commonplace for West Indies in recent times when they leave the comforts of home, but it is unheard of on home soil. West Indies' response to the batting crisis that has afflicted them in the series was to drop experienced left-hander Shivnarine Chanderpaul for his reluctance to comply with the selectors' advice of seeking medical attention for looking tired and lethargic in the third Test.

While many people speculated about sweeping changes to the batting line, the selection panel, led by Sir Vivian Richards, brought uncapped hometown boy Sylvester Joseph, a cavalier right-handed batsman, into the 13-member squad.

At the moment, Joseph is unlikely to get the nod in the final 11 and it seems appropriate for Ricardo Powell to add to his solitary Test, after being labelled a one-day cricket specialist by successive selection panels over the last four years.

West Indies are looking for a spark in their middle order batting and Powell could be the short term answer to counter England's highly-disciplined, if not overly menacing attack of which Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard, Simon Jones and Andrew Flintoff have been the protagonists.

It would not be surprising though, if the selectors got creative and brought in Joseph, Powell and Dwayne Smith, alongside Lara to make the sweeping changes widely expected and leave out vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan and Ryan Hinds.

It's hardly likely that England will make any changes to the side that has served them so well in the previous three Tests. If Read's batting has been a question mark, Vaughan and opening partner Marcus Trescothick should also be feeling the heat for their lack of production.

The two will be hoping that the 57-run partnership and the brief signs of form that they collected in pursuit of last Saturday's modest victory target will lead to much more in this Test.

Teams: