England captain Andrew Strauss is confident his team can emulate the comeback Test series success in New Zealand.

Strauss leads his team, without crocked all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, into the fourth Test against West Indies at Kensington Oval today in positive mood.

Just as in the campaign in New Zealand 12 months ago, England trail 1-0 with two matches to play.

"This is a pretty similar challenge," said Strauss. "When we were 10 for three on the first day in Napier it seemed like a huge challenge, but we were able to do it.

"And I think we showed in Antigua last week we can put the West Indies under pressure - we just have to go step further this time.

Momentum of the series

"We're hopeful that the momentum of the series has changed and we can continue putting those guys under pressure in the first half of this Test."

In the corresponding fixture five years ago, 31-year-old Flintoff was integral to England winning and completing a first series victory here since the 1960s.

His first-innings five for 58 is one of only two five-wicket hauls in a 75-Test career which also only includes five hundreds.

But his importance to the XI extends beyond mere numbers.

"I think no one feels those stats more than Fred," said Strauss. "I think he'd like to make more match-winning contributions but you've got to bear in mind that for an all-rounder a 60 or 70 with the bat and three or four wickets with the ball is a pretty solid contribution.

Omens are good

"You have to look past those stats a little bit and also note the effect he has on the team.

"I'm sure he'd like to push those stats up and once he is back fit then hopefully he'll have the enthusiasm to do that."

The omens are good in his absence it would seem, as Strauss' three Test wins have come without Flintoff around.

Furthermore, since the 2005 Ashes victory, England have been considerably more successful without him than with him.

Flintoff has played in exactly half the 42 completed Tests since (discounting the recent abandoned match in Antigua) and of the 21 matches he has missed, 10 have been won, whereas they have claimed victory in only three of those that he has featured in.

Batting win

"We've had to play without him quite a lot over the last few years and if you rest all your hopes on one man, sometimes the rest of the team don't take the responsibility they need to take," Strauss said.

"We've found when he hasn't played before the bowlers have stood up and performed and the batting unit has performed pretty well as well so there is no reason we can't win.

"We'd love him in the side but I don't think that is affects our chances of winning.

"I still think we have a very good chance of winning with the bowlers we've got.

"It is just a case of three seamers standing up and doing the job rather than four and that just gives them more responsibility and in many ways you will get more out of bowlers that way.

Unchartered territory

"I think we get used to relying on Fred both as an attacking and defensive option which is a great luxury to have, and when he's not there then other bowlers have to put their hands up and take the wickets or bowl the maidens."

West Indies captain Chris Gayle, on the verge of leading his team to a first Test series win in five years, added: "The stats might not show well in the last two games - he has not been among the runs and wickets - but Freddie Flintoff is very important for England in the bowling department especially."

Having blitzed the tourists in Jamaica, and clung desperately to their lead in Antigua, West Indies are in unchartered territory.

Their last successful Test campaign was a struggle against Bangladesh on home soil in 2004.

"We are not accustomed to this kind of position over the last few years and this is an opportunity to try to build on it," said Gayle. "We must try not to give into England.

"There is no doubt at all, I actually believe we can pull it off.

"We have to come out running on the ground as this game can determine the series."