sure birdie to cap a comeback from three down against Mike Gatting and win one up.

But from 150 feet, Gatting chipped to three feet to halve the hole and they went in even.

Gatting's tenacious competitiveness came through yesterday afternoon as it has over a sterling cricketing career that has endured many peaks and valleys -- the most recent peak being Middlesex's county championship and the most recent valley being omission from the England team to tour the West Indies early next year.

There have been several explanations rendered for the absence of stalwarts Gatting, David Gower and Allan Lamb as the England selectors opted for a more youthful approach in Michael Atherton's first overseas tour as captain.

But Gower nor Lamb were in the England team for the 4-1 Ashes defeat to Australia. Gatting was, at least until Allan Border's Australians laid a strong foundation for a series victory.

He said yesterday that at 36 he is still interested in the England captaincy but, with the latest developments, accepts that his international playing days may be past him.

"Graham Gooch has played till he's 40,'' he said. "I'm 36 still. I'm going to hang around and see what happens.'' The decline arguably started five years ago in Pakistan when a fateful and much-publicised argument in Faisalabad with umpire Shakoor Rana led to his demise.

Gatting was England captain at the time and attempting to fight back from a 1-0 series deficit when he exploded in a face-to-face confrontation with Rana over one of a series of debatable decisions.

"Obviously, I regretted arguing with the umpire, it is something you should never do,'' he said. "I know I was wrong and I accept that.'' There is an underlying belief in England that higher powers in Pakistan were behind controversial officiating.

But Gatting, who suffered his latest censure for leading a rebel tour to South Africa in 1990 after he was stripped of the captaincy, prefers to keep his opinion to himself.

"I have my opinion, which I am not allowed to voice, but I think there was enough evidence for people to make up their own minds,'' he said.

The Middlesex captain had a four-year ban cut short in time to be selected for the tour of India and Sri Lanka. But that only brought further anguish for English cricket, as they were beaten 3-0 by India and 1-0 by Sri Lanka in the Tests.

There were some changes for the opening of the Ashes challenge with Gatting's name thrown about as a possible successor to Graham Gooch, who earlier announced he would not tour abroad again.

Indifferent performances, however, proved Gatting's undoing and he was dropped after a heavy second Test defeat at Lord's of all places, his home ground.

The Australians were up 4-0 before England ended their barren run, which at one time saw eight straight losses, in Atherton's second Test in charge at The Oval.

"We didn't play particularly well as a side,'' said Gatting of England's Ashes challenge. "I don't think we did ourselves justice. The Australians played very well. They got stuck in, their batsmen put us under a lot of pressure and things went well for them.

"You know how when you get a bit of a roll going, you think you're playing well? They felt they were playing well.'' There was a reprieve in the final Test, which for the optimist is a good sign for the perils that lie ahead in the West Indies.

"It was basically because of Devon Malcolm, Angus Fraser and Steve Watkin,'' said Gatting. "We finally sort of got the three pairing together. The only thing which we might have done differently was to get the left-arm spinner (club-mate Phil Tufnell) as opposed to two off-spinners.

"They obviously had their reasons why they wanted two off-spinners, so they did that. But I think the important thing was to get some wickets. Devon shook them up a bit and Steve Watkin and Angus Fraser managed to keep it there or thereabouts and keep the lid on it.'' Gatting was among three main candidates for the top job, including Atherton and Alec Stewart, who led the team in Gooch's self-enforced absence on the Sri Lanka leg.

"I didn't think I would get back in the side,'' said Gatting after he was dropped. "The only way I might have got in was to captain the side, but I didn't think they would do that. I was prepared to accept the captaincy because I enjoyed my time as England captain, but I didn't think they would do it.

"I think they did the right thing by giving it to Michael Atherton. They obviously weren't happy with Stewart.'' Gatting expects that Atherton and his young charges will be in for a tough time in the Caribbean.

"West Indies is going to be a different environment. It's going to be hot, it's going to be crowds right on top of each other. It's going to be very knowledgeable crowds as well, who enjoy their cricket.

"They'll be vociferous. England will know they're there. They'll appreciate good cricket, too.'' Gatting recently told The Daily Telegraph that the West Indians might use the young skipper as an example for the rest of the squad.

"It will be a trying time for Mike Atherton. First of all, the quicks will be after him. The way they operate is seek and destroy the captain and demolish the side's confidence. He had better get used to the fact that he is not going to get many pitched in his own half.'' A series victory against the West Indies is unlikely, Gatting realises that, but that does not mean that the team cannot work towards rebuilding England's standing on the world ladder.

The most recent Coopers & Lybrand ratings have England eighth in both Test and one-day cricket above only Zimbabwe. West Indies are first in Tests and joint first with Australia in one-dayers.

"English cricket needs a little bit of pride. The players have to work hard and put everything into their game.'' MIKE GATTING -- His trademark tenacity was in full view yesterday afternoon at Port Royal.