Cricket: Third Test / The terrifying renaissance of Ambrose: After a slow start the West Indies' spearhead has confirmed his status as the world's leading pace bowler. Tony Cozier reports

So was it really Curtly Ambrose's greatest spell? Better than his 7 for 1 demolition of Australia at Perth just over a year ago? More devastating than his six-wicket wrap-up of England's second innings that clinched victory in the nick of time in Barbados in 1990? More vital than his four-wicket burst that, along with Courtney Walsh, turned certain defeat into unlikely triumph over South Africa also in Barbados in 1992?

Ambrose himself was reluctant to compare his six-wicket humbling of England on Tuesday afternoon with his many other famous feats, but there were many others around who were in no doubt.

Geoff Boycott called it 'the most exciting period of Test cricket I can remember in all my years of playing and watching'. Michael Holding, who committed similar mayhem on several occasions himself, simply said 'awesome'. Ambrose was more reserved.

'As far as I am concerned all my performances are the best,' he said. 'They're all very similar once they get the results for the team. A few of the others were when we were down and out and had to come back and produce the goods and that's what happened here as well. It's difficult to point out which is the best because, in the end, they all produced the same results.'

But his captain, Richie Richardson, did rate this as 'probably his best spell'. 'Curtly has always been so consistent it's very difficult to compare his performances but I think this would have to go down as the best,' was his assessment.

'The one against Australia at Perth was on a pitch that was in his favour a bit as it at least had the bounce. In Barbados against South Africa it was keeping a bit low but here I thought his bowling really demoralised the opposition at a time when we needed to take early wickets.'

Richardson identified Ambrose's greatest motivation as his pride and dismissed his fast bowler's suggestions that he was tired of the game and thinking of retiring. 'He might say he doesn't like the game and things like that, but he has a lot of pride in his performance,' Richardson noted. 'He'll do anything to make sure he does well.

Outside of his own environment Ambrose gives the impression of the mean, unsmiling fast bowler. But within the team, he is the calypso-singing, guitar-playing, leg- pulling entertainer always out for a laugh.

Richardson said he thought Ambrose was 'embarrassed' by his performance in the first Test in Jamaica, when his only two wickets were Chris Lewis in each innings.

'I think he was tired but that still upset him,' the captain said. 'I knew he would come bouncing back after that. That's the type of fellow he is.'

Ambrose disagreed. 'I wasn't tired at all,' he objected. 'I was sort of luring England into a false sense of security. I'm back at my best now.'

As to what motivated him into his awesome assault on England's unprepared batsmen on Tuesday, he identified the stroke he played to get out, a wild swipe against Andy Caddick that resulted in his leg stump flying out of the ground.

'I knew we had to occupy the crease for a long time,' he said. 'I was going OK and then I played that rash shot and got myself out. I was pretty upset at that point and told myself I'd have to go out there and produce the goods with the ball. I was really worked up.'

There was also the thought of the

5-0 clean sweeps the West Indies handed England under the captaincy of Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards before he came into the team in 1988. 'I've thought a lot about that,' he said, 'that happened before my time and I think it befitting if Richie Richardson got the same result. He's a captain you can speak to and who gets all the guys to relax. I'd really like it to happen for him and that's our aim.'

It is an ominous warning for England's beleaguered team.

(Photographs omitted)