Graham Onions passed the first major test of his character and composure at the highest level to keep England on course for a series whitewash in the second Test.

The 26-year-old Durham seamer has enjoyed a dream start to his Test career, claiming a five-wicket haul on his debut at Lord's to help England claim a convincing 10 wickets victory in the first Test.

His performance at Lord's will have inked his name onto the list of possibles for this summer's Ashes series, but the selectors and captain Andrew Strauss would also have wanted to know how he handled adversity.

Playing an international on his home ground for the first time, Onions passed that examination in style by bouncing back from conceding 27 runs in his first three overs to claim two key wickets as West Indies slumped to 115 for three after following on 259 runs adrift at Chester-le-Street.

Onions had been forced to play understudy to senior bowlers James Anderson and Stuart Broad earlier in the day when the tourists were dismissed for 310 having resumed the fourth morning 475 runs adrift on 94 for three.

Anderson followed up his three wickets from the previous evening to claim two more to claim his sixth five-wicket haul of his Test career while Broad grabbed the two key wickets of Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan.

But when West Indies followed on and decided to approach their second innings as practice for next week's one-day series, Onions thoroughly earned his call-up by keeping his composure despite a fierce onslaught from Chris Gayle to keep England on course for victory.

Facing almost certain defeat when they began their second innings in late afternoon, West Indies captain Gayle decided to launch himself into England's attack and forced England captain Andrew Strauss to withdraw both Anderson and Broad after just 10 overs of the innings.

Onions was dismissed in similarly brutal fashion, his first over being hit for 11 as Gayle raced to his half-century in just 39 balls to leave the Gateshead-born seamer struggling to find an answer to the onslaught.

Off-spinner Graeme Swann won an lbw against fellow opener Devon Smith, but it was the Onions' response to his hammering which would most have most impressed the selectors when he trapped Sarwan leg before and then induced Gayle into an edge to first slip in the same over.

His contribution halted West Indies' momentum and they must now hope for another weather-interrupted day and a determined battle by their middle and lower order if they are to save themselves from a series whitewash on the final day.

England wicket-keeper Matt Prior spent the final session off the field with a finger injury, which X-rays later confirmed was not serious, though Paul Collingwood proved an able deputy with the gloves.

Sarwan had earlier provided the impetus for an improved West Indies batting display, hitting his fourth century in the last seven Tests against England to at least ensure the Test entered the final day.

Resuming on 41, Sarwan dominated a 99-run stand with Chanderpaul which threatened to frustrate England's hopes of victory with his only sign of discomfort during his three and a half hour innings being a painful blow in the groin area from Anderson.

But Broad demonstrated his increasing skill as an international bowler by continually testing Sarwan's ability against the short delivery, which eventually led to his dismissal when the ball looped off his bat handle to gully.

Nottinghamshire seamer Broad had already secured the key scalp of Chanderpaul by inducing him into edging behind and a full-length delivery which seamed away just eight overs before Sarwan's demise.

An aggressive eighth-wicket stand of 70 off 83 balls between wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin and Sulieman Benn delayed England's victory push and even threatened to help the tourists' avoid the follow on.

It took Kevin Pietersen's brilliant throw from deep mid-off to run out Benn for a Test best 35 to end the stand while Broad and Anderson wrapped up the innings only five overs later.

Facing a daunting deficit, Gayle attempted to make amends for his pre-Test statement that he preferred playing Twenty20 cricket to the longer format of the game by delivering a thrilling Test innings.

He hit six fours and two sixes - one off Anderson and the other off Onions straight down the ground - before Durham's newest member of the England squad proved his credentials by claiming two wickets in an over.

It ended another dismal day for the tourists but at least Chanderpaul will look back on it with some satisfaction by claiming the 35 runs he required to leapfrog over Sir Viv Richards into second place in the list of West Indies leading Test run-scorers.