Shivnarine Chanderpaul enjoys long stays, both at the crease and currently at the top of the Test cricket's world rankings.

The West Indian star sits comfortably above the likes of Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting, Kevin Pietersen or Sachin Tendulkar. But unlike them, he is the epitome of substance over style.

Considering the West Indies managed only one win in nine Tests in 2008, Chanderpaul's coronation as the International Cricket Council's Cricketer of the Year last September is nothing short of a remarkable achievement.

So if 2009 is anything like the previous two years, England's biggest challenge in the Caribbean in the Test series which starts on Wednesday will be penetrating fortress Chanderpaul.

In his last two series against England, the left-hander has averaged 72.83 and an astonishing 148.67 - even the great Don Bradman could not match the latter over a single series.

In the 2007 series in England, he averaged nearly 12 hours at the crease in total, compiling 448 mostly unspectacular, yet equally priceless runs.

"He doesn't give anything away," England fast bowler Ryan Sidebottom has said. "Even when you beat the bat, he still hangs in there.

"Nothing seems to affect him and if you are slightly off line, he will punish you.

"He plays the ball very late, which may be why he plays and misses quite a bit because he doesn't follow the ball. You have just got to be patient yourself and make him play as much as possible."

Attempting to describe Chanderpaul's technique to someone who has never seen him bat without using the word "unorthodox" is impossible