Stokes closes on rapid hundred as England take iron grip on second Test against West Indies

BRIDGETOWN: England’s rampaging Ben Stokes smashed West Indies spinner Veerasammy Permaul and fast bowler Alzarri Joseph around the ground to move within sight of his century as the tourists took an iron grip on the second test in Barbados on Thursday.

After a cautious start to the day against the second new ball, Stokes switched into his best Twenty20-style form on day two at Kensington Oval, scoring at more than two runs a ball for much of the session.

Almost before the pro-England crowd had rubbed the sleep from their eyes, the visitors had scored 125 runs without losing a wicket in the morning session to advance to 369 for three.

Stokes was 89, off 92 balls, which included four sixes and 11 fours, while first-day century-maker Joe Root advanced his score by 31 runs in the two hours’ play to be unbeaten on 151.

Root happily ceded the spotlight to Stokes, who brought up his half century with his second towering six off Permaul, before giving Alzarri equally harsh treatment.

Stokes at one stage smashed Joseph’s efforts for three consecutive boundaries, before hoisting a six back over the bowler’s head, making it 20 runs in all from the over.

The all-rounder, who faced the first ball of the morning from Jason Holder after Dan Lawrence’s dismissal for 91 at the end of day one, advanced from 23 to 89 in 37 balls and West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite waited too long to stem the tide.

He eventually threw the ball just before lunch to wily Jason Holder, who sent down a series of slow deliveries that put the brakes on the scoring.

Brathwaite then brought himself in for a tidy final over before lunch, although the damage had already been done.

Root reached 150 with a single in the penultimate over before the break and given the manner of Stokes’ acceleration, especially in the last half-hour of the morning’s play, England would appear to be setting the stage for an all-out assault in the afternoon session followed by a declaration which would leave the West Indies facing a potentially challenging period of play towards the end of the day.

Scorecard

ENGLAND (1st Innings, overnight 244-3)

A. Lees lbw b Permaul 30

Z. Crawley c Da Silva b Seales 0

J. Root not out 151

Dan Lawrence c Brathwaite b Holder 91

Ben Stokes not out 89

EXTRAS (B-1, LB- 4, NB-2, W-1) 8

TOTAL (for three wickets, 116 overs) 369

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-4 (Crawley), 2-80 (Lees), 3-244 (Lawrence)

YET TO BAT: B. Foakes, J. Bairstow, C. Woakes, M. Fisher, J. Leach, S. Mahmood

BOWLING: Roach 20-5-47-0, Seales 21-44-4-1, Joseph

19-1-95-0 Permaul 27-1-97-1, Holder 24-4-61-1, Bonner

1-0-3-0, Brathwaite 4-0-17-0.