Stokes smashes scintillating century as England stay in command

Ben Stokes powered a pulsating 120 from 128 balls before Matthew Fisher picked up a wicket with his second ball on debut as England retained control of the second Test against West Indies on day two in Barbados.

Stokes' brutal hitting - which saw him to a first Test century since July 2020 and past 5,000 Test runs - overshadowed skipper Root, who made 153 from 316 deliveries in England's 507-9 declared having begun the day on 119.

Stokes thumped 89 of the 125 runs England scored in the opening session and 91 of the 129 he put on with Root in total - at one point crunching 64 from just 34 deliveries thanks to four sixes and eight fours as he took down West Indies seamer Alzarri Joseph and spinner Veerasammy Permaul.

The all-rounder, who smote six sixes and 11 fours all told in his 11th Test century, holed out in the second session and Root declared in the third before Yorkshire seamer Fisher had John Campbell (4) caught behind in the second over of West Indies' reply after being given the new ball.

West Indies subsequently closed on 71-1 to trail by 436 on a pitch starting to offer turn for the spinners - Shamarh Brooks is 31 not out while captain Kraigg Brathwaite is unbeaten on 28 having successfully overturned an lbw dismissal off Jack Leach when he was on 14.

Fisher thought he had Brooks caught by Zak Crawley at slip for 17 in his fifth over, only for the third umpire to stick with the soft signal of not out with the England fielder's fingers seemingly touching the turf.

It was a day of milestones at Kensington Oval with Stokes and Kemar Roach achieving notable feats.

Stokes became the fifth man - after Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Ian Botham, Kapil Dev and Jacques Kallis - to the double of 5,000 runs and 150 wickets in