England in West Indies: Ben Stokes returns to starring role with century in Barbados

As Ben Stokes repeatedly launched cricket balls towards jubilant England fans, some of their greatest memories were being stirred.

In Australia this winter the talismanic all-rounder, understandably after a difficult 18 months, resembled a superhero stripped of their cape during England's humiliating Ashes defeat.

In Barbados he batted like that outfit had been freshly fitted and zipped up ready for another starring role.

Stokes swaggered like only he can in crashing 120 from 128 balls — captain Joe Root passing 150 a mere sideshow in a thrilling, Stokes-fuelled morning session on day two of the second Test against West Indies.

It was his first century since July 2020, a period in which Stokes has had a series of challenges to overcome.

In December 2020, Stokes' father Ged died and four months later Stokes suffered a serious finger fracture while playing in the Indian Premier League.

That injury would rule the all-rounder out for three months until he was rushed back, injury not yet fully healed, to answer England's SOS call and captain a one-day international side against Pakistan that was cobbled together after a Covid outbreak.

His return lasted less than a month as he announced an indefinite break from cricket to prioritise his mental wellbeing and allow his injury to heal.

Having originally been omitted, Stokes returned for English cricket's biggest quest, an Ashes series down under, but was unable to replicate his past Ashes heroics, scoring two fifties and taking four wickets across five Tests.

Since then Stokes has been typically honest.

He has, with little justification, said he let the team down during England's 4-0 defeat. He has pulled out of the IPL, where he is a superstar and could have banked millions more, to