Stephen Brenkley: History man Stewart fights for his future

A 39-year-old wicketkeeper with no future put England in an unassailable position in the Third Test yesterday. Alec Stewart's 15th Test century, executed with pristine authority, ensured that he too is now in that happy state. His instinct for international survival is at least as great as his talent for catching and hitting a cricket ball.

His innings of 123 bore all the hallmarks of what Stewart claims to be his major qualification. It was streetwise. Every shot which it contained, not least the four boundaries from successive balls with which he reached his hundred, seemed to be saying: "Come on then, pal, what you gonna do now, drop me? Well, have some of that." Of course, while his bullish strokes expressed these sentiments, he was perfectly appointed. The man they call The Gaffer is back in the gaff where he feels he belongs.

England did not then make as much as they might have done of the formidable total of 512 which Stewart's acquisitive nature had given them. They were not helped by the loss of form of Matthew Hoggard, who went for 23 runs in his first two overs and was not called upon to bowl again, and the loss altogether of Andrew Caddick. England's best bowler left the field with a side strain, the full extent of which will be known today. The signs did not look auspicious. At this rate, England could be running short of seam bowlers.

Sri Lanka, under the cosh and lacking lustre, ideas and direction in the field, managed to make a decent fist of their reply. They still need to avoid the follow-on but with their batting line-up they should make it. A draw looms in this poor stop-start match in which play has been stopped too often when it should have started. But that will mean a series victory for England.

The reluctance of the umpires and players actually to play has reflected poorly on the game and its efforts to enthral a new generation. Stewart at least probably does not fall into that category. He wanted to get on with it, for all sorts of reasons. For a player who had been consigned to the knacker's yard at the start of the season – if Surrey can be described as such – he exhibited some peculiarly thoroughbred tendencies. In doing so, he marshalled the team past 500 for an unprecedented third consecutive innings. Better England sides than this have failed to manage such a sequence against poorer bowling attacks.

He and the others did not enter the arena until noon yesterday, an hour after the scheduled start, and if there was a reasonable explanation for the delay nobody was offering it. There was a big screen in the car park on which the World Cup football match involving England could be watched.

Perhaps the marketing men could usefully deploy the tactic again, luring customers to come to the cricket to see football while trying their damnedest to ensure that no cricket takes place to spoil the day. The crowd who stayed were astonishingly patient, even when the players stayed off for bad light in the early evening when the sun was on the verge of cracking flagstones. "Must be showing the goals," said somebody.

There was something preordained about Stewart's progress on the ground where he had marked his 100th Test match two years ago with a century. That one coincided with the Queen Mother's 100th birthday, this one with the most important English football victory for years. Both will have mattered to Stewart: monarchist, football fan, super-patriot. But what will have counted most is that he showed those who doubted him.

Last autumn he made himself unavailable for England's tour of India and was replaced by a boy 18 years his junior, James Foster. That seemed to be that. Nasser Hussain, the England captain, said as much when they arrived in the subcontinent for the one-day series. "James Foster is our keeper now." Stewart was finished. But then fate struck. Foster, centrally contracted and certain to play, broke his arm on the eve of the series against Sri Lanka.

Unsure where to turn, unwilling to trust another young keeper, the selectors recalled Stewart. But they arrived in the North-west with Foster's arm on the mend. If Stewart was likely to keep his place for the one-day NatWest Series, he was destined to lose it again for the four-Test rubber against India which follows. Not now. They might start asking in years to come, whatever happened to that James Foster?

Stewart was on 57 when play started, and the jaw-jutting way in which he had set about his business the previous afternoon made it impossible to wager against him converting that to three figures.

He started judiciously. More assured against Muttiah Muralitharan than he had been in the past – there was less firm pushing at the ball as though the bat was cemented to his hands – he still eschewed most attacking strokes. He largely played him from the crease.

On 88, with England all but home and hosed in Niigata, he faced Dilhara Fernando. He pulled the first two balls, square-drove the third and straight-drove the fourth, all to the boundary. It was his 15th Test hundred, his first for two years since he last scored one on this ground and also his first in the No. 6 position. It took him 146 balls and contained 12 other fours.

The seventh-wicket partnership with Ashley Giles, who made his top score in Tests, was the key to England's merry progress. The tourists did not bowl well and their fielding was once again below the standards they have set for themselves in one-dayers. England put pressure on them. Stewart ran the quick singles like a man 18 years younger.

Giles was a worthy foil. For one of the few times in Test matches he batted as he can do, as he should. The partnership was worth 102. Needing more than 313 to avoid the follow-on, it was possible that Sri Lanka might be unwilling pursuers. They have had a rotten time because of the weather, they look downcast.

With Russel Arnold replacing their captain, Sanath Jayasuriya, as opener they were, however, relatively untroubled. This pitch is still good, a credit to English groundsmanship considering the rain over Manchester. England were not accurate enough, though Andrew Flintoff forced Marvan Atapattu to retire hurt after hitting him on the hand with a fast, rising ball. There is a suspicion of a fracture. Arnold made a well-crafted 62 before succumbing softly to the hook shot.

Stewart was determinedly sprightly behind the stumps. The Gaffer for the Ashes, for the World Cup, and do not guess which year.