Eng vs WI: Ben Stokes smashes century as England crushes West Indies

BRIDGETOWN: England’s batters put the screws on weary West Indies bowlers to reach 482 for six in their first innings at tea on the second day of the second Test at Kensington Oval in Barbados on Thursday, with Ben Stokes completing his 11th Test century.

Stokes went to 120 off 128 balls with 11 fours and six sixes before becoming the sixth wicket to fall after a morning session of galloping aggressiveness that finished with the all-rounder undefeated on 89 off 92 balls.

At the outset of the post-lunch innings, England’s Joe Root was trapped leg-before for 153 by the tenacious Kemar Roach. The same bowler had a chance to dismiss Root for 34 on the opening day, but wicketkeeper Joshua da Silva fumbled the leg-side chance.

Jonny Bairstow was the next wicket to go in the afternoon session, plucking a short ball from Alzarri Joseph unerringly to Nkrumah Bonner on the midwicket boundary. Bairstow had a superb century in the first innings of the drawn first Test in Antigua.

While Stokes’ and Bairstow’s batting heightened rumours of an early declaration, Ben Foakes and Chris Woakes’ 58-run seventh-wicket stand has subsequently calmed the nerves.

After the break, Woakes will return on 30 and Foakes on 27.

Root, who started the day on 119, was content to play second fiddle to Stokes, improving his score by 31 runs in the first two hours of play while the left-hander pushed the throttle at the other end.

It was yet another batting masterclass by the visitors on a placid pitch, much to the delight of hundreds of English fans who were enjoying the dual pleasures of Caribbean sunshine and a batting lesson by two of their best players.

As the interval came, Stokes, who faced the first ball of the morning from Jason Holder following Dan Lawrence’s departure for 91 at the conclusion of day one, was particularly severe on Alzarri Joseph, smashing three fours and a six off a single over from the Antiguan bowler.

Stokes passed 5,000 runs in Test cricket with that straight smash for six, and he was on 87 at the time, with two overs left in the session, it looked like he would be able to achieve the uncommon achievement of scoring a hundred runs in a single Test session.

To the relief of the West Indies bowlers, he was kept off strike for the majority of the last 12 deliveries, adding only two more singles.

For the latest Sports News Follow BOL News on Google News. Read more on Latest Sports News on oldsite.bolnews.com