Only 28 overs at Old Trafford today, but that was enough time for one Surrey man to ensure he finished off what he'd started, and another one to start ensuring he wasn't finished. Mark Butcher resumed with 85 to his name, and soon reached the magic three figures. No wonder he had been so keen to play despite that troublesome knee injury: he's in the form of his life and doesn't want to miss a thing – a fair description of his batting in this series. His 123 here follows 17 and 105 at Lord's and 94 at Edgbaston, and he's never had it so good: a confident approach against spin has been grafted onto those clumping off-drives and pulls.

A year is an awfully long time in cricket. Twelve months ago Butcher was miles away from the Test side (it's almost unbelievable now but he was behind his county colleague Ian Ward in the pecking order). He sneaked back in for the first Test of the Ashes series in July 2001 after a series of injuries, and kept his place largely because Nasser Hussain broke yet another finger ... and then came Headingley, and the crunching 173 not out that has changed his life.

Once Butcher went Alec Stewart took over. The papers were writing his international obituary before this game, assuming that James Foster would waltz back once his broken arm mended and the Indian series began. It's safe to assume that Alec never quite saw it that way ... and his batting today backed that up.

There was a certainty in his strokes that made one think a century was on the cards from early on. Thumps over the infield were accompanied by that eyes-popping stare that suggested the work was only half-done (or maybe the light was already starting to fade). When Upashantha bowled to him it was possibly the first time an Eric had bowled to an Alec since net practice at The Oval in the '50s. And at 39 Stewart has evolved a new, safer way of playing Murali – pad further over and out, to reduce the chances of an lbw.

In the end diabolical light halted Stewart's quest for a 15th century in his record-equalling 118th Test. After this there could well be a 119th ... and a 120th ... and a few more. Nothing would please The Gaffer more than to keep Foster fussing on the sidelines for another series or two – and I know who I'd rather see bristling out to face the Aussies in a crisis at Melbourne this winter.

Steven Lynch is database director of Wisden.com.

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