England in West Indies: Ben Stokes returns to starring role with century in Barbados
- Published
Stokes' 120 was his 11th hundred in Tests
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 focus on England's red-ball rebirth.
It is brilliant for this new England that Stokes found form in Barbados. For this was him at his very best.
He was imperious from the outset, scoring 89 runs in the first session alone and ultimately enabling England to declare on 507-9 before they ended the day 436 runs in front.
Comparing it to the Stokes back catalogue, it was an innings more akin to his Cape Town demolition in 2016, when he hit 258 against South Africa, than the unbeaten 135 in that Ashes miracle at Headingley in 2019 or his World Cup-winning exploits earlier that year.
The way he got off the mark, a bruising on-drive off Jayden Seales should have been an indicator. What followed was brutal.
Veerasammy Permaul was hit towards the Caribbean Sea so often that, even on a pitch where spin looks the biggest threat, the slow-left armer was deemed unusable.
Seamer Alzarri Joseph was dispatched with such ease, it was like watching cricket played on the County Durham beaches where Stokes walks his dog.
Even the supreme Root was now part of the supporting cast, joking he "wished he could do" what Stokes was doing at the other end.
After starting the day on nought, a little over two hours had passed by the time Stokes reached three figures from 114 balls.
He removed his helmet, looked to the sky and made his tribute to his father, raising his left hand while tucking in his middle finger.
Stokes' tribute is a reference to his father who had a finger amputated after multiple dislocations playing rugby league
"It's a very special feeling," said Stokes.
"I don't like to speak selfishly but it was nice to look up to the sky and say, 'Cheers'.
"That's personally one of the more memorable hundreds I've got because of everything that's gone on over the last 18 months to two years.
"It was great. In India last year I got 99 [in a one-day international win in Pune] and it was a bit of a dagger in the heart so it was nice to get there and remember him that way."
Earlier, one mighty six took Stokes past 5,000 Test runs, to go with his 170 wickets.
It saw him join the most iconic all-rounders in history - Lord Botham, Sir Garfield Sobers, Kapil Dev and Jacques Kallis - as the only men to score over 5,000 runs and claim 150 or more dismissals in Tests.
But Stokes' brilliance is not just about numbers. It is the style he uses to achieve those feats and the way he makes you feel along the way.