Carlos Brathwaite
Former West Indies all-rounder on BBC Sounds

The challenge for the West Indies now is whether to prioritise the players in the Test squad already and get them more volume of cricket, or whether to prioritise widening the pool? I'm not sure we have the quality to do the latter yet.

But that is a decision above my pay grade.

Jayden Seales continues.

The Tobagonian gets one to climb into a half-hearted hook from Joe Root and the ball plops safely into the leg side.

Kraigg Brathwaite responds with a tweak to the field, stationing two close catchers on the leg side.

Carlos Brathwaite
Former West Indies all-rounder on BBC Sounds

This has been an improved and impressive performance from the West Indies. They've not done the job yet but they've done very well. They've committed to plans. Take the wicket to Stokes - if you're going to bang it into the pitch, you've got set your field for it. Now they've got to finish the job.

Joe Root is into the 80s now. He deftly sweeps the penultimate ball of Gudakesh Motie's over to keep the strike.

Here's how Root moved past the milestone of 12,000 Test runs for England.

Vic Marks
Former England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

Image source, Getty Images

Watching Root against the short-pitched barrage reminded me of when I asked David Gower how to play short-pitched bowling.

I said "David, I'm having trouble - how do you do it?" and he said "well, I get into position, and if I like the look of it, I play, and if I don't like the look of it, I get out the way." I replied "that's no good to me, I haven't got time to make those decisions!".

Gower played the short ball so well, and so does Root.

Jayden Seales probes outside Joe Root's off stump, but the England batter's judgment is supreme.

Kraigg Brathwaite has a brief chat with the umpire's regarding the ball. It's given a cursory push through the ringlets and there's some common agreement.

After a bit of deliberation one chosen from a silver briefcase.

Andy Zaltzman
Statistician on Test Match Special

Image source, Getty Images

Joe Root will average 50 in Test cricket after this innings whatever score he ends up making.

I make it the sixth time in his career that his average has gone from below 50 to above 50 within a Test match.

This is now his fifth consecutive Test with a 50 plus score for Root. That's since he got a lot of criticism for getting out playing a reverse-sweep against Jasprit Bumrah in the third Test in India.

BBC Sport's chief cricket writer Stephan Shemilt has just texted me that "a Joe Root is for life, not just for Bazball".

This has certainly been an innings which has the classical hallmarks of Root at his pomp. The type of strokeplay we have loved down the years.

Gudakesh Motie rattles through another over of left-arm spin. Root stylishly cuts his second ball for four before he and Jamie Smith milks some singles.

Vic Marks
Former England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

We're back to the performing Seales! Unlike Joseph, he is going to bowl to what we would regard as a more orthodox field. We will see whether the ball swings a bit.

Brendon McCullum has his feet on the balcony, shades on. Like a man at a beach side bar wondering what his next cocktail will be.

Jayden Seales, who has three of the six England wickets to fall, is back into the attack from the Pavilion End.

He strays on to Smith's legs and with the final ball of the over allowing the England wicketkeeper to pinch the strike with a nice leg glance,

Vic Marks
Former England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

Image source, Getty Images

It's the old and the new, really.

We know what to expect from Joe Root at this level, and, as ever, he is the key man for England.

Alongside him is Jamie Smith who has played some terrific innings for Surrey - nearly all of them positive. But it's slightly different at Test level. We are all intrigued to see how he goes about his business. I'm pretty sure he will remain positive!

Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie is plotting and scheming from the Birmingham End in search of another wicket.

Jamie Smith goes for a big heave to his penultimate ball and for a split second must have been waiting for the death rattle, only for the ball to fractionally miss his off stump.

Vic Marks
Former England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

Image source, Reuters

Wow. That's gone a long way out of the meat of the bat. He decided he was going to hit upwards rather than downwards. He did and it just kept going. There are two men out there waiting, but he cleared them by about 30 yards. What a shot. I'd like to know where that finished?! It can't have gone over the Hollies Stand, surely?

Eng 191-6published at 38 overs

38 overs

Alzarri Joseph continues to ask questions with his short-ball tactics to England's batters but both Joe Root and Jamie Smith have the answers.

Smith quickly picks up the length of the final ball of the over and heaves it into the Eric Hollies stand, who respond by breaking out into song.

Gudakesh Motie hussles through an over of left-arm spin. He's a fraction short to Jamie Smith with his fourth ball who whips into the leg side. He and Root run three.

Here's the best of Ben Stokes' half-century before he pulled the ball to square leg and was caught.

The cameras have just cut to the England captain back on the balcony glumly mumbling to himself under his breath.

Vic Marks
Former England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

They've sacrificed some runs to get there, but the tactic has worked. Stokes didn't quite middle it - it hit the splice of the bat. He looked terrific and he's chastising himself as he walks off.

Image source, Getty Images

Andy Zaltzman
Statistician on Test Match Special

Alzarri Joseph has been a bit expensive today. His first spell went for 31 from four overs, while his last two overs have cost 16 runs. England have scored off of 23 of his 36 balls.