That's about it for today - I'm sure it's nearly your bedtime - but if you can't get enough of your cricket, it all starts again (in a domestic sense) at 11:00 BST tomorrow with ball-by-ball commentary on every county game. If you're off on your travels, you can sign up for wicket alerts on the BBC Sport app.
As far as England are concerned, they will resume on 341-5 in Antigua tomorrow at 15:00 BST - we'll be back here with the live text at 14:30, with TMS on air from 14:45. Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel. Make sure you join us then - bye for now.
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David Wallace in Spain: We could be in for some fun tomorrow if both Stokes and Buttler get cracking, one at either end.
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Post update
So, a mixed day which began with West Indies winning the toss and fielding first - and taking three quick wickets as Trott, Cook and Ballance all fell cheaply.
Ian Bell (143) then added 177 with Joe Root (83) and 130 with Ben Stokes (71 not out), who remains there at the close, although Bell fell with six balls remaining.
Oddly enough, England's three team changes from their last Test - Trott, Stokes and Tredwell - have all featured at the crease today, with Trott caught for a third-ball duck, Stokes tucking into a tiring Windies attack, and Tredwell sent out as nightwatchman but not facing a ball.
"Lovely footwork from Root and Bell, there's a sense of urgency in Root's cricket and he bats like a busy Australian batsman like Michael Slater who runs like hell and puts the pressure on the fielders. Bell played beautifully and it was a different game. By the time they got to the evening session, it was buffet bowling, and it was mayhem - without slogging."
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Porschehead: Perhaps it's getting close to the time to stand Cookie down as captain & let him get some runs without added pressure.
"I'd be thinking of beating West Indies here, but Australia is the biggest test at the moment. So I'd be thinking 'what is my best batting line-up' and given Adam Lyth a go to see if he could cut it. Gary Ballance likes to shovel it off his legs, they tucked him up and he edged it. Hey, if the captain doesn't hurry up and get runs soon, there could be another place opening."
"I'd show Jonathan Trott the pictures and show how he was on the move when he was playing the ball. Cook was playing all right, then was late on a good-length straight ball, it came through the gate and bowled him. That might be rustiness because of the pathetic lack of practices, as in those two-day warm-up matches, players were coming backwards and forwards like the Seven Dwarves. That's not the player's fault, that's the administrator's fault. I would have batted Trott in his proper position at three - can he cut it again at three for when Australia come? Rahul Dravid was a fantastic player at number three but could not cut it opening."
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Richard Carter: Re 22:22. I take it all back. Ian Bell's from Coventry!
Post update
England batsman Ian Bell, who made 143: "It was a tricky first morning up 'til lunch. We knew it would do a bit in that first hour. They bowled well for two hours, but the wicket dried out a bit.
"I wanted them to get me out, not give my wicket away. It's nice to be in this position at the close. There's plenty more to do and kick on."
On Ben Stokes, who made 71 not out: "He's played well. Hopefully he can go on and get a big hundred for us. We've got Jos Buttler to come - it's going to be aggressive cricket."
"An excellent day for England, West Indies cricket isn't very strong and lacks discipline. There was a lack of urgency and energy from their bowling and fielding - and they made a stupid decision to put the opposition in to bat. They must have been frightened to death of the England seamers."
Post update
Ian Bell has been sent out to speak to the media - we'll hear from him soon. It's also time to get your tin hats on as Aggers and Boycott warm up for their review of the day, which will be available later as the TMS podcast.
Already available on the podcast page is TMS's lunchtime tribute to the late Richie Benaud.
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David: Cook and Moores have just been summed up, send in Tredwell to stand at non-striker's end as a nightwatchman. Wake up @ECB_cricket.
scott lennon: Tredwell never faced a ball. What a ridiculous decision to put a nightwatchman in at the non-striker's end with six balls left.
Gareth Neale: Why isn't Jimmy Anderson nightwatchman? He's only 51 shy of getting 1,000 Test runs. Against this attack, he might just get them.
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Philip Carr: Super fire-fighting work from Bell, Root and Stokes.
Jamie Green: Ian Bell shouldn't be frustrated, he's just bought himself another series.
"It was very tricky for Trott coming back in, especially to open the batting. If he comes back, he bats at three - he's the best number three England have had for some time. That's where he has always been the most effective. If you need an opening batsmen, you use an opening batsmen. If that means Ballance or Bell moves down the order, so be it."
"What Stokes and Bell have done is take some of the pressure off Jonathan Trott because his selection was questionable. He had failed in two of the innings in the warm-up matches in St Kitts. He looked tense."
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Post update
Graeme Swann is certain that it will make a world of difference for West Indies, now going through some warm-down stretches on the outfield, with a number "5" in the wickets column rather then "4". It will certainly have given them a late lift after two sessions where England unquestionably had the upper hand.
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Terry Mahoney: We've missed this. This being England having the upper hand in a cricket match.
"It was a real shame for Ian Bell because after fighting so hard, until the penultimate over of the day, to get an absolute ripper, It was probably the only time he would have hit that ball - he'd have missed it at any other time. But credit to Kemar Roach."
Close-of-play scorecard
England 341-5 (90 overs)
Batsmen: Stokes 71*, Tredwell 0*
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Trott 0), 22-2 (Cook 11), 34-3 (Ballance 10), 211-4 (Root 83), 341-5
So, while Ian Bell's 143 was the centrepiece of the day, well supported by Joe Root's 83, Ben Stokes will resume the innings tomorrow morning unbeaten on 71. Accompanied by a nightwatchman who hasn't faced a ball.
"Stokes has batted beautifully. Especially since that second new ball, he has played some crunching drives and anything short he has just swatted away. He made sure this was definitely England's day."
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Luke Berry: England are back! Not really but Bell deserves, at the very least, a firm handshake.
APCopyright: AP
Close of play
Eng 341-5
Jason Holder to send down the last over of the day. At no point does Ben Stokes ever look like taking a run, so the redundant nightwatchman Tredwell stays at the non-striker's end. Still, perhaps he'll get the chance to make a name for himself with the bat tomorrow - given that England often judge bowlers on whether they can bat, rather than whether they can bowl.
"Psychologically, putting your head down on the pillow knowing you've not got to bowl at the man with 140 tomorrow, it gives you hope. West Indies will go out tomorrow knowing they're not far off bowling at the England bowlers."
Post update
A curious decision - not only have England sent out a nightwatchman ahead of their number seven Jos Buttler (evidently viewing him as a frontline batsman), the aforementioned watchman, James Tredwell, may not get to face a ball here as there's only one over left and Stokes is on strike.
"An absolute peach from Kemar Roach - bouncing, just leaving him, and it's just a little tickle. Bell walks off to rapturous applause. What a time for West Indies to get a wicket."
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WICKET
Bell c Ramdin b Roach 143 (Eng 341-5)
Just when it looked like he was booking in for bed and breakfast, Ian Bell's long vigil is ended as he edges a beautiful outswinger from Roach to the delighted keeper-captain Denesh Ramdin, getting on the back foot and trying to prod it back to the bowler. It ends a stand of 130 from 25.4 overs.
"This last session has been absolutely carnage. The new ball has gone all over the place."
Eng 335-4
Holder goes round the wicket but serves one up short and wide for Stokes, who gleefully helps it down to third man - a boundary which has been left vacant all day. England are on triple-Nelson (333) for the briefest of times as a single takes Stokes to 71 from his first 71 balls on a day when the Durham all-rounder (yes, I know, born in Christchurch, New Zealand for all you completists) has triumphantly returned to the international stage. Two overs left.
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KM: Good recovery from the morning. Shows that the run rate at the start of the day/innings is not the be-all and end-all.
Eng 328-4 (Bell 136*, Stokes 66*)
Roach has changed ends to replace the expensive Taylor, and the flow of boundaries is momentarily stemmed. Three overs left tonight, and there are some weary bodies out there among the Windies fielders.
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Bryony Lever: Why don't we ask Ian Bell where he considers himself to be from?
Eng 325-4
West Indies recall the tall Jason Holder to the attack, there are two slips and a gully in, but the fielding remains a little sloppy as Bell and Stokes pick up ones and twos with consummate ease, while Bell unleashes one of his classy cover drives for four and swipes another one off the edge to third man. This new ball has been like an energy drink for England - 48 runs in five overs with the new nut - while West Indies look like they just want to get through the day.
"It's a great approach from Stokes - there's no thought of England batting out the last few overs. If you get the opportunity to score, you give it a whack - try and hurt that second new ball. The field is spread all over the place now."
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"This is Ben Stokes's first hundred partnership in Test cricket - and Ian Bell's 49th. Alastair Cook is the only player with more for England, with 55."
Eng 313-4 (Bell 123*, Stokes 64*)
Stokes keeps going, pushing England's score past 300 with a two and then tucking into Taylor, driving and pulling the Jamaican for three successive fours. At this rate, he'll overtake Bell tomorrow morning if they both stay in... That's the century stand. Five overs left today.
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LJ Messam: Do we have to discuss where Bell is from? We ignored that for KP, Morgan, Trott et al. Let's just agree he's having a great knock.
I think people have made a lot of fuss in the last few years about where England's non-England-born players were from...
"For those people who saw Ben Stokes's talent during the last Ashes, it has just been in hibernation for a while. It's had a sabbatical."
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50 for Stokes
Eng 299-4
This stand is already worth 82 - make that 84, as Roach, who bowled well in the first session but has deteriorated since then, twice oversteps for no-balls. Bell moves to 123 with a single - and Stokes clearly knows how close he is to a half-century as he guides one through the covers, scampers two and keeps scampering until he's run his bat in for a third to bring up his fifty. It's his second highest Test score, only surpassed by that ton in Perth.
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Michael Prag: Re: 21:51. Ian Bell's parents still live in Dunchurch and you see them wandering around the village now and again... The square needs a decent groundsman, mind!
Eng 293-4
Jerome Taylor belatedly returns at the Sir Andy Roberts End - the late Fred Trueman would be chuntering by now about an opening bowler who's only bowled 13 of the first 82 overs, I'm sure back in the day Fred and the other grizzled old pace bowlers would bowl 30-40 overs every day and still have time to jog off for a Woodbine afterwards... Again, like Roach last over, Taylor bowls too short and Stokes gets up on one leg to help a four through square leg, and guide another one through the covers for four more. He has 47 from 58 balls.
"As well as Bell and Root played, West Indies have let themselves down. Their bowling from mid-afternoon onwards has been pretty ordinary."
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Ben Fides: All Test series should be played in the West Indies. Home from work, set for the evening. Love it! #perfecttimezone.
Second new ball taken
Eng 285-4 (Bell 122*, Stokes 39*)
After that one-over delay, it's going to be Kemar Roach with the new cherry - but Aggers hasn't seen much loosening up from the quick bowlers, and it shows as Roach serves up a juicy long-hop which Bell effortlessly pulls for four. How to hand the advantage back to your opponents in one fell swoop... Another short ball is carefully directed through square leg for four by Warwickshire's Coventry-born, Dunchurch-raised, Rugby-claimed, Villa-supporting Ian Ronald Bell.
Mark Almond: Do you think Ian Bell would be good on Strictly Come Dancing?
New ball available - but not taken
Eng 277-4
Fourth umpire Joel Wilson delivers the new ball, and it looks as though West Indies are going back to Jerome Taylor, but at the last minute it's thrown back to spinner Benn. Bell cuts a single - nine overs left today.
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Geoff Ward from Birmingham: Re 21:42. Having lived in Rugby, Coventry and Dunchurch, I can assure you that your geography is wrong. Dunchurch is south of Rugby and certainly not between Rugby and Coventry. Oh, and Walsgrave Hospital is the major hospital for Coventry and Warwickshire. Belly is a Rugby lad.
Eng 276-4 (Bell 113*, Stokes 39*)
We've reached the 80th over, with Samuels to bowl. Stokes and Bell are happy to take a single off nearly every ball. Time for the quicks?
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Football Fragmento: Left-arm spinner Permaul took 67 wickets in the West Indies four-day competition this year. Why not give him a go?
Eng 272-4
Bell reaches Nelson (111) in the penultimate over with the old ball - ones and twos are easy to come by against Benn, whose work for the day may now be over.
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Mike in Birmingham: Baffles me how Stokes didn't go to the World Cup. He'd have been first on the plane in my eyes. A bowler who can bowl a fair lick, gets wickets and can bat in the top seven is surely an integral part of any one-day side. Faulkner, Anderson, Matthews, Sammy all spring to mind - something England were missing.
Eng 269-4 (Bell 109*, Stokes 36*)
While Geoffrey Boycott on TMS lays into Benn's "buffet" bowling, commenting on how his entire family would be queuing up to face the left-arm spinner, Samuels is quickly through another over, with Stokes looking to cash in before the new ball arrives.
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Tim Williams in Leicester: Re: 21:10. The boy Bell grew up in a village between Rugby and Coventry called Dunchurch. My dad was caretaker at his school.
Dunchurch's sporting heritage includes it being the birthplace of Olympic 400m medallist Katharine Merry.
"It's a waiting game. West Indies just want the new ball and England are trying not to do anything silly because sometimes you can try and score quickly, get out and let a new batsman in against the new ball. So it's a little cat and mouse at the moment."
Eng 267-4
We have 14 more overs due today, if West Indies can get them in. Stokes sweeps Benn for four and then goes for the big one, crashing a six into the stand at long-on where a fan in an England cap takes a terrific catch.
Scorecard update
England 255-4 (76 overs)
Batsmen: Bell 108*, Stokes 23*
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Trott 0), 22-2 (Cook 11), 34-3 (Ballance 10), 211-4 (Root 83)
It's as if this Test has entered a holding pattern for the past few overs, with West Indies rattling through some two-minute overs of spin to get to the new ball, and England not looking to take any risks to ruin what has been an astonishing recovery from 34-3. Bell and Stokes take a single apiece.
"It's always deflating for the fielding team when you've won the toss and you're approaching the end of the day in the field. You can see that at present."
Eng 253-4
Benn wheels away for his 23rd over, but Bell's steady progression continues - as Ed Smith noted earlier on TMS, it's been a chanceless innings. Just one from the over.
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Voice From The Stand: Once again, the myth of Ian Bell only scoring hundreds in easy circumstances has been proven to be total rubbish.
Jack of all trades: Well done to Ian Bell on his ton, but we gotta be honest, this is an easy attack, the real test will come in the summer.
Eng 252-4 (Bell 106*, Stokes 22*)
Another reason for sticking with spin might be that this is the 74th over, and the second new ball is available after 80. It won't matter to England - they plunder three singles from Samuels, whose seven overs have cost 38.
How's stat?!
Only Alastair Cook (25) and Kevin Pietersen (23) have scored more than Ian Bell's 22 Test hundreds for England. Wally Hammond (below), Colin Cowdrey and Geoffrey Boycott also have 22.
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Post update
Eng 249-4
Given that (as far as I remember) teams get their two reviews replenished after 80 overs, it's no surprise that West Indies have used one for the last ball of the 73rd... He was on the back foot but I think this one might be "umpire's call"... and it is, with the ball possibly clipping the top of the leg bail. Not out.
Umpire review
The twin-spin attack continues as Benn skips in, with a slip and a leg slip in place. Perhaps the over-rate is encouraging the Windies to stick with spin? Stokes is hit on the pad, umpire Bowden shakes his head but West Indies signal for a review...
Eng 248-4 (Bell 103*, Stokes 21*)
A single takes Bell to 103 from 198 balls - the ton came up from 194 deliveries.
"A magnificent knock by Ian Bell. Chanceless, classy and composed. That will have meant a lot to him - there were a few fist pumps there."
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100 for Ian Bell
Eng 247-4
And it's a century for Bell, who dabs Samuels between the keeper and slip to reach three figures for the 22nd time in Test cricket - and the first time in the first Test of an away series. He raises both arms in celebration, removes his helmet and salutes the England balcony.
"I've always felt Bell to be a class act. There aren't many guys who are technically organised the way he is. He has a good array of shots when he's on attack, and he gets his hands through the ball well."
Benn, West Indies' busiest bowler having sent down 20 of the first 70 overs, begins his 21st, but the watchful Bell - with the field spread - is happy to progress in singles, squeezing one though the covers. With 19 more overs due today, it's time for drinks. Bell has 98 from 192 balls.
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Gary Cooper: My sincere apologies to @joeroot05. Second ball of the day I watch and he's bowled. What was I thinking?
Paul Etherington: Can't believe Stokes batting above Buttler.
Eng 242-4 (Bell 97*, Stokes 21*)
We have spin from both ends for the first time today as off-spinner Marlon Samuels replaces Taylor. Stokes takes a single, is this Bell's time now? Not just yet - he taps a single to long-on to reach 97. Stokes, scoring at a quicker rate than any of his team-mates today, adds a couple more.
"There's no problem at all with being nervous in the 90s. There are times when you are playing well and you change your pattern, which makes life more difficult. The best advice is just to continue in the same manner."
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Eng 238-4
Plenty of Caribbean music between overs - and after the many suggestions of Michael Vaughan on TMS earlier, Sulieman Benn is going to bowl over the wicket to the left-handed Stokes. Another flashing cut shot brings him two, while a single to deep mid-wicket means Bell, on 96 - rather starved of the strike lately - only has one ball to face. He defends.
Text 81111
Gav, Rugby: Bell is from Rugby, not Coventry, he would be mortified!
He was born in Walsgrave Hospital on the outskirts of Coventry (as stated on his own official website when he received an honorary degree from Coventry University) which is significantly closer to Coventry than Rugby I'm afraid. Naturally, he supports... Aston Villa.
Eng 235-4 (Bell 96*, Stokes 15*)
Another four wide of point from Stokes, England will hope this is Ben Stokes (Version 2013-14) rather than Ben Stokes (Version Summer 2014) at the crease. A single takes him to a rapid 15 from 17 balls.
And a cricket fact I'd not heard before... James Anderson's father is an optician.
"Ian Bell has just gone past Wally Hammond. He's now the ninth highest run scorer for England in Tests."
Eng 225-4
Spinner Sulieman Benn has changed ends for the third time today, now he's back at the Sir Andy Roberts End but it's business as usual from Ian Bell - who helps himself to a four through the covers and an easy two to deep mid-wicket to move to 96.
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Oliver J Spencer: Is that first time in a large number of Test innings Stokes hasn't gone for a duck?
He had made three successive ducks before today.
Scorecard update
England 219-4 (66 overs)
Batsmen: Bell 90*, Stokes 6*
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Trott 0), 22-2 (Cook 11), 34-3 (Ballance 10), 211-4 (Root 83)
As per the last over, Bell adds a single and the large slip cordon returns for Stokes, but a careful dabbed cut past backward point brings him off the mark with a boundary - ending a run of three successive ducks in his last four Test innings. Taylor tests him with a bouncer, which comes back towards his body and Stokes unconvincingly gloves him to point, before prodding a two back past the bowler.
Text 81111
Henry H in Bristol: Re: The Knights of the Caribbean (17:31). When will we see 'Sir Brian Lara? He must be due his honours soon.
Who else from the cricketing world would you like to see receive a knighthood?
Eng 212-4 (Bell 89*, Stokes 0*)
Bell is inching towards his 22nd Test century, a single off Roach takes him to 89 - and while that 22 figure is three short of Alastair Cook's record of 25, Bell is close to reaching the top of the England charts for scores of 50 and over - he's now on 64, two short of leader Graham Gooch (66). Stokes is yet to score.
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Dave, Sheffield: Will the football supporters go back to moaning about that national side. We have lost three wickets in the first session and we need to replace the whole team, backroom staff and management. Maybe we need to change the name of the team, the colour of our shirt, spruce up the badge.
Eng 211-4
Ben Stokes, tattoos visible below his short-sleeved shirt, takes guard for the first time in a Test since last July. Ramdin brings in three slips and a gully as Taylor angles the ball across the Durham left-hander, then switches to bowling round the wicket but Stokes sees out the over.
"He just dangled his bat outside the off stump. I agree with Graeme Swann that Root changed the course of the innings by bringing energy. He got Ian Bell going and played a real good hand. He'll be disappointed because he was set."
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WICKET
Root b Taylor 83 (Eng 211-4)
Jerome Taylor returns - and the Windies opening bowler has made the breakthrough as Root tries to angle his bat down to third man but chops onto his stumps. Slamming his bat down as he leaves the field, it shows how he realises he's missed out on a ton here.
"That was probably going to hit a second or third stump down the leg side."
Appeal - not out
Eng 210-3
England assistant coach Paul Farbrace is enjoying a cuppa as he leans down to chat to his boss Peter Moores, while also on the England balcony, Ben Stokes may be suffering pad-rash soon, having been next man in for a session and a half. There's a half-hearted appeal for lbw against Root from Roach, but not only does the ball-tracker show the ball missing the wicket, the impact was outside the leg stump. So not a close one.
Tall spin bowlers
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Tim Duffy: Haydn Sully of Northants was 6ft 4in I think!
Mike, Aberdeen: Re: Dallas Moir (18:31) - had an ale with him at weekend - still something of a 'character'. Has a twin brother Jeremy of similar imposing stature... not to be messed with!
Eng 208-3 (Bell 86*, Root 83*)
Big Benn bowls, the Bell tolls as the man from Coventry helps himself to a two and a four which not even the fleet-footed Jermaine Blackwood can cut off. Benn, quickly through his over, has 0-57 from 18. But how will he be rueing that dropped catch just after tea?
"England are in a real strong position - it's starting to look very easy for this pair. They've got so much time - options on the front foot, the back foot, the on side, the off side - so it's very hard to set a field for them."
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Eng 202-3
Roach sends down a ropey wide which keeper Denesh Ramdin takes in front of first slip, while a single takes Bell to 80, stretching this fourth-wicket stand to 168. A fair way to go, though, until they threaten the best fourth-wicket stand for England against the Windies - 411 by Peter May and Colin Cowdrey at Edgbaston in 1957.
"It all changed when Joe Root walked to the crease. He looked to be very positive in his footwork, and I think that relaxed Ian Bell at the other end. He didn't allow West Indies just to run up and keep bowling as they had been."
Eng 200-3 (Bell 79*, Root 83*)
It's big, bad Sulieman Benn back on with his left-arm spin. If they picked an International Hard Stare XI, he'd be the spinner. Root swats him in the air towards cow corner, the ball is in the air for a long time but eventually dribbles into the unguarded boundary, which is vigorously signalled by some of the many holidaying England fans looking on. A two brings more applause for the England 200.
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Joe McLusky in Thames Ditton: The England team is a pun-maker's dream! Cook's bad Trott continues, he needs more Balance, needs to Tread well, but at least Bell's taken Root, and Stokes the fire (forgive me). Jordan's Butler, Mr Broad (and Her Son) might have lots to do this year...
Eng 194-3 (59 overs)
Yep, it's Samuels off and Kemar Roach returns, having sent down eight overs with the new ball and then a five-over stint between lunch and tea. With the Antiguan afternoon sun shining, Bell is calling for fresh gloves and even Roach is perspiring as he walks back to his mark. But a three off his legs from Root is England's only scoring shot. We have another 21 overs before the new ball is available.
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Pete Naylor: Ian Bell, when he goes big, can only do it in the most elegant style...
Rik Andrews: At the risk of jinxing it, I can see England pushing on to 450-500 now. Two class acts batting now.
Eng 191-3 (Bell 79*, Root 74*)
I wonder if that might be the last we see of Samuels, who's gone for 26 in four overs - including 13 in that one. Holder, as you'd expect, is tighter, sacrificing one of his slips in favour of a deep square leg, but then fires one down the leg side for a bye. With that blemish not counted against the bowler, it's a maiden - Holder has figures of 15-6-36-1. In rough terms, he's conceded as many runs in 15 overs as he did in about an over and a half when he was getting savaged by AB de Villiers during the World Cup.
"It's a very strange decision from the West Indies to open the bowling with Marlon Samuels, but excellent batting from England. They know that if they let Samuels burgle five runs off the first five overs after tea, it just gives the seamers a rest, but they're not allowing that to happen."
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Six
Eng 190-3
Root, reprieved last over, is served up a loose delivery by Samuels which he picks up from outside off stump and wallops past mid-on for four. I'm sure Sir Viv himself would applaud that one. A well-run three takes him to 74, one ahead of his partner, but the Bell Supremacy is reasserted as he comes down the pitch and smacks Samuels for a straight six.
With another 33 overs left today, this is going to be a fairly long session.
"Ian Bell never looked comfortable in the World Cup - looking to up the tempo just doesn't suit his game. But he's made for Test cricket - he's a very compact, technically accomplished player.
"Joe Root has arguably been England's best player for the last 18 months. When he came out to bat, England had been very tentative and defensive, but he immediately looked a different animal, and I think that's helped him and Bell assert some dominance."
Eng 177-3 (Bell 73*, Root 67*)
Bell is skipping around between deliveries as the lanky Jason Holder resumes proceedings at the Sir Curtly Ambrose End. He had left his gloves and helmet to dry out on the outfield during the tea interval, as if underlining his desire to occupy the crease for a long time. A careful cut to third man brings him his 12th four of the day.
"It was an easy catch, a sitter. Hip-high, not hit well, but it went straight through him."
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Root dropped on 61
Eng 173-3
Geoffrey Boycott spoke earlier about always starting with your two best bowlers after an interval - but West Indies persist with the off-spin of Marlon Samuels, and it almost bears fruit as Root plays a hesitant pull shot and is dropped by Sulieman Benn at mid-wicket, a dolly of a catch at this level as the ball skids through Benn's hands moving to his right. England steal a two, and as if that wasn't enough, Root pulls the last ball for four.
"James Tredwell will be licking his lips being able to bowl on this pitch, which should offer him some assistance. I always preferred to see a wicket turn, as knowing I was going to be involved more, I was more focused. If it turns on day one, I always knew what it would be doing by day three or four."
Post update
Thanks, James. As Swanny said, the proverbial game of two halves so far. But while some rushed to condemn Ramdin for opting to field first, some also rushed to condemn England after collapsing to 34-3. The final session may show who (if any) needs any condemnation...
Post update
Right, as we head in to the evening session, time for me to hand you back to Mark Mitchener to take you through to the close...
"It's been a day of two halves. The first session was West Indies', but the second belonged completely to Ian Bell and Joe Root, who have wrestled the initiative back to England."
BBCCopyright: BBC
Post update
Did previous West Indies players' experience in county cricket help them?
WICB president Dave Cameron on TMS: "The skills were developed back home, but the professionalism of having to get up every day and practise - even if you'd been up having a beer till 4am - is what we've lacked. We're also in the position now where we can demand fitness standards because they're being paid. In most years - except when we're playing England - the IPL window will be available for players to go there, then we have the Caribbean Premier League in June."
Post update
WICB president Dave Cameron on TMS: "What happened in India was a lack of communication. I believe we'll learn from it - we've got a professional league now and England's Test ranking will be in jeopardy. Can we be number one again? Absolutely. We have six professional teams playing a minimum of 10 first-class games over six to eight months, this is the start of rebuilding the West Indies team."
Post update
Do the current players see themselves more as superstar individuals than a team?
West Indies Cricket Board president Dave Cameron on TMS: "We're living in an age of gadgets - everybody wants instant gratification and to be an instant superstar. We recognise that at the WICB, we have to help them understand that the team is the most important thing. If the team is doing well, they will be megastars."
Tea scorecard
England 167-3 (54 overs)
Batsmen: Bell 69*, Root 61*
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Trott 0), 22-2 (Cook 11), 34-3 (Ballance 10)
"The financial cloud hanging over West Indies is this claim against them from India. My understanding is that at the moment, West Indies Cricket Board president Dave Cameron is in Dubai trying to negotiate this - they can't afford the cash but can offer India payment in kind by offering them matches."
You can listen to Joe's chat with WICB board president Dave Cameron on TMS now.
BBCCopyright: BBC
Post update
So, this first Test now looks very different than it did when England trooped off rather disconsolately for lunch. The tourists are now in a strong position thanks to a fine, positive session of stroke-making from Joe Root and Ian Bell, both of whom look in excellent form. Alastair Cook and Peter Moores will be feeling mighty relieved in that dressing-room.
As for West Indies, the discipline they showed in the morning session evaporated in the baking afternoon sunshine, with Sulieman Benn particularly culpable of serving up too many bad balls. Will Denesh Ramdin be thinking back ruefully on his decision to bowl this morning?
Tea interval
Eng 167-3
Ian Bell and Joe Root easily negotiate Jason Holder's final over before tea, and head off for a well-deserved scone. Excellent recovery from those two in a very productive afternoon session.
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Hillel: The ability to worry about the future when your team is performing well is one of the greatest attributes of an English fan.
"It's a good pitch, a bit of movement this morning but then the two best players have shown some good intent, playing low-risk cricket shots for good rewards. England should post a good score, and there's a bit of swing and spin to encourage their bowlers."
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Eng 164-3 (Bell 69*, Root 58*)
Samuels continues, with his characteristic waddling, two-step run-up. There's a brief flurry of excitement when Ian Bell just about scampers back into his crease before Denesh Ramdin whips off the bails after a throw from the outfield - that's pretty much as close as West Indies have come in this chastening, chanceless session.
"At 30-3, West Indies' decision to bowl first must have looked like the right one, but England are building a platform to bat long - when you bowl first, you should bowl the opposition out, if not on the first day, then early on the second. They should be in for bed and breakfast now."
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Marko Koning: Wooo like the Ashes 2013. England losing three quick wickets and Ian Bell rebuilding. Should be an England win!
jack william redfern: KP and Cook to open like they used to in the ODIs, would allow our middle order to stay the same.
Eng 160-3 (partnership 126)
The umpires eventually call a halt to that rather bizarre interlude, and play resumes, with Jason Holder continuing with the ball. Root allays any fears about his back with a lovely languid pull shot through mid-wicket for four. These two are looking entirely untroubled and putting England in a really good position.
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Tattz in Oldbury: Root & Bell will be the highest scorers in the England side this year by some margin. Both play pace well, with shots played all around the wicket. If we are going to put up any fight against NZ & the Aussies, these two will need to bat so well. Well, we can hardly rely on our openers!
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Jay: Was this some kind of a statistics-driven therapy that Root just underwent?
Ouch!
Joe Root has called for some treatment - it looks like he's got some sort of problem with his back. The England physio delivers a rather uncomfortable looking massage - kneeling down and applying his full weight to the prostrate Root with both hands, like a man trying to squash one last pair of swimming trunks into an over-stuffed suitcase.
Eng 154-3 (Bell 64*, Root 54*)
Marlon Samuels is summoned to deliver a bit of part-time off-spin. England creep further into the ascendancy with three stolen singles.
"That's the best shot of the day. On-drives always look pleasing, but he's in tremendous form."
50 for Root
Eng 151-3
Holder, whose dismissal of Gary Ballance suddenly seems an awful long time ago, continues. After 14 consecutive dot balls, he finally drags one down and Joe Root manages to evade Blackwood with a powerful cut through point. Root then goes to 50 with a gorgeous straight drive to the mid-on boundary. England making hay here.
"You have to make sure you don't offer too many freebies - the West Indies bowlers have been too short and wide at times. I'm surprised Benn hasn't come over the wicket to try something different."
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Antony Stewart: No surprise that the only two cricketers who have not had their confidence savaged by the media are the ones leading this recovery.
Peter: Not sure the four-day game is prioritised in this country. Only half the matches take place in Jun-Aug, the "summer months".
Eng 141-3 (Bell 62*, Root 43*)
Our first look at the jet heels of Jermaine Blackwood, a man so fast he practically leaves contrails in the outfield. He keeps the England batsmen to two when Joe Root knocks the ball behind point. Three from Benn's latest over.
Eng 138-3
Holder, who impressed many with his performances as captain of the Windies ODI side at the recent World Cup, continues to offer West Indies if not threat, at least a measure of control. He whizzes a couple of deliveries past Ian Bell's leave to conclude another good maiden over.
"Geoffrey's been in a bit of a grump today - he was sending half the backroom staff home after nine overs! England have come out with a different mindset after lunch, looking to score. These two are their best players at the moment. You've just got to be careful of hitting the ball too square as it's so slow."
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Michael Blighe: Most teams suffer from mid-order collapse. England seem to suffer from top-order collapse. And it's getting embarrassing.
Richard Jebb: Is it not worth trying a bowler as captain given the struggles with form at the top of the order in recent years?
Eng 138-3 (Bell 61*, Root 40*)
Benn continues - can he build a little bit of scoreboard pressure after that good last over from Holder? Nope - he drifts leg-sidish and Root nails a sweep to the leg-side fence. Hands on hips, teeth clenched, eyes skyward from Benn, who wouldn't exactly be the most inscrutable of opponents across the poker table.
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Simon Langley-Evans: Has everyone who is slagging off the England team forgotten that they were put into bat this morning?
Robert Hart: I think Graves needs to look at increasing the number of days in a Test match with a top three of Trott, Cook and Ballance!
"The West Indies media manager Philip Spooner thinks Ian Bell is the best leaver of a ball since Desmond Haynes."
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Eng 134-3
As we speculated, the young quick Jason Holder is introduced to stop the rot. And he does exactly what his captain would have wanted, producing six accurate deliveries to claim a maiden and briefly slow the Ian Bell onslaught.
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Ian Roberts: Cook is too scared and tactically inept to play and captain Rashid. Negative batsman = negative captain. Rashid was the best spinner by far in 2014 on green seaming county pitches.
Jack Elliot: Why is Cook a guaranteed opener for England, when he hasn't scored a Test century in nearly two years?
Patch Thompson: Bell looking good. Baby faced assassin of the England squad.
Eng 134-3 (Bell 62*, Root 36*)
He bowled well before lunch but Sulieman Benn has wilted after the interval. He continues to serve up bad deliveries at regular intervals, frustrating West Indies' attempts to build any sort of pressure. This time it's looped up wide of leg stump and Joe Root ushers it past Denesh Ramdin to the boundary. It's given as four byes.
"Roach is nothing like the pace he was a couple of years ago when he hit Jonny Bairstow on the head in England. He's bowling like Stuart Broad did in the World Cup - it'll be interesting to see what Stuart has, as it's difficult to come back from injury and bowl at your fastest. Whenever you're slightly off-line, they'll hit you."
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Remembering Richie
Richard Clarkson: A fantasy team of Richards (and derivatives of with significant licence!) for the great late Richie Benaud to captain. Surely no other name team would compete! Barry Richards, Ricky Ponting, Sir Vivian Richards, John Edrich, Sir Richie Richardson, Dave Richardson (wk), Sir Richard Hadlee, Dick Motz, Richie Benaud (capt), Andrew Caddick, Richard Illingworth. Dickie Bird umpiring of course!
Eng 130-3
Bell is on fire here, making very serviceable deliveries look like rank bad balls. Roach drops just a fraction short and Bell is on it in a flash, swivelling on to back foot and hoicking him through mid-wicket for another four. Problems for the West Indies - surely it can't be long before they turn to Jason Holder?
"Taller bowlers, if it's not going for them, at least they can try to keep it tight. I think that's how Benn tries to get wickets - get people hanging on the back foot and then bowl a quicker ball."
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Eng 125-3 (Bell 58*, Root 36*)
Sulieman Benn looks to be all out of wicket-taking ideas here, but he does manage to keep it relatively tight off his latest over, coughing up just two runs.
"Somebody hard to hit on a pitch like this would be Glenn McGrath as he bowled line and length and was awkward to get forward to on slow surfaces."
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Ollie Bartlett: Is it any surprise the top three failed considering the amount of international cricket they've played since last summer. Bell and Root on the other hand...
Eng 123-3
The punishment continues for the West Indies as Roach strays on to Bell's pads and the batsman strokes him through the leg side for another four. And he gets the treatment again, short and wide and Bell flays him into the off side for two. England, who practically required the defibrillators after a moribund morning session, are suddenly up and about and roaming the hospital corridors.
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Jacksandfives: Cook should not be captain. He's not proactive enough. He should be left to bat and score runs. Why do the selectors insist on giving the captaincy to an opening batsman? Recent history shows that form always suffers.
"Bell's fifty is only the third time in his last 17 first innings of away Test matches that he's passed 50."
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50 for Bell
Eng 117-3 (Bell 52*, Root 34*)
Sulieman Benn serves up an absolute gift first ball after drinks, slow and short, and Bell rocks on to the back foot and swats it through mid-wicket to bring up his half-century. He's looked in excellent touch. Runs continuing to flow for England.
"What a lovely thought that I could be batting against someone like you on a pitch like this, Jonathan. It's flat. The movement is minimal. England played some poor shots, there's a bit of rustiness as they've not had serious practice. Those two two-day games were farcical. Do you think people would practise like that before trying to win at Wimbledon or the Masters?"
Drinks break
Eng 112-3
Roach runs in again, chunky chain jangling around his equally chunky neck. Root mistimes a pull through mid-wicket but picks up two for it, and England safely negotiate their way through to drinks after a very handy recovery from Root and Bell in the first hour after lunch.
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Tall spin bowlers
Geoff, Nottingham (and others): Re: Dallas Moir (18:31) - did you know it's his 58th birthday today?
Simon Walker: Re: tall spin bowlers. My 6ft 4ins great-grandfather Frank Whiting set several Minor Counties records, including a 10-for, playing for Cornwall in the 1920s.
Alex, London: Tony Greig bowled the Windies out with off-spinners in 1973. Must be at least 6ft 6ins.
"I've never got over Andy Roberts, one of the most lethal and destructive fast bowlers ever, producing those featherbed Antigua pitches where Brian Lara scored 375 and 400. Fast bowlers were terrified of bowling at Andy - Sylvester Clarke of Surrey roared through us once at The Oval, with two absolute cowards left to bat in me and Gordon Parsons. But when Andy batted, Clarke bowled him half-volleys and we won the game."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).
Eng 110-3 (Bell 47*, Root 32*)
Benn hasn't really been able to perform the holding role that his captain would have wanted so far this afternoon. He produces a better over here though, conceding just a couple of singles.
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Ash Parkar: Listening to Tony Cozier and Sir Viv makes sitting in traffic absolutely worth it.
Mark Savile: Great coming back from work with two sessions of cricket to be played. #SummerIsComing
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Eng 108-3 (Roach 10-4-23-1)
Tough work for the West Indies fielders as they continue to chase leather in the afternoon sun. Bell brings up the England 100 with a flashing square drive that screams away to the boundary at point. And Root piles on the pain, albeit with a touch of good fortune, top-edging a lifting Roach delivery over the slips for another boundary.
"We were talking earlier about how India's board might sue West Indies over that abandoned tour. There's such a unique atmosphere about cricket wherever it's played around the world. It would be an utter tragedy if the West Indian way was somehow lost."
Eng 99-3 (Bell 40*, Root 28*)
A change of ends for Sulieman Benn, who looks as though he might be asked to get through a fair bit of work this afternoon. It's a better over from the giant left-armer until a loose final delivery, which is pulled through mid-wicket for two.
"I've just been rebuked by Tony Cozier. He thought I was trying to wind him up as we were talking about tall left-arm spinners - Sulieman Benn's 6ft 7ins - how about the Maltese-born 1980s Scotland and Derbyshire player, Dallas Moir? He was a great character."
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Scorecard update
England 95-3 (36 overs)
Batsmen: Bell 40*, Root 26*
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Trott 0), 22-2 (Cook 11), 34-3 (Ballance 10)
Bowling figures: Taylor 10-2-39-1, Roach 9-4-14-1, Holder 8-3-13-1, Benn 9-2-27-0
Denesh Ramdin shuffles his pack for the first time in this afternoon session, bringing Kemar Roach into the attack. White smoke drifts across the field from the direction of the barbecue stand, while Ian Bell continues to subject the West Indian bowlers to a grilling - flicking Roach off his pads down to the fine-leg boundary.
"You wouldn't say it's been bad bowling, but it's been good batting since lunch - you'd expect it from these two."
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Sam Stride: So good to see Test cricket again, the purest form of the game, forever and always.
Andy Donley: Roach, Taylor and Holder are a good unit, losing wickets against them with the new ball is no disgrace, judge England on Friday.
Eng 89-3 (Bell 36*, Root 25*)
West Indies could do with a quick wicket here if they are not to undo all the good work of the morning session. But Jerome Taylor continues to find the going tough in the afternoon sun against this classy England duo, as Ian Bell punishes him with a gorgeous late cut that brings another four wide of the slips.
Remembering Richie
The Test Match Special tribute to Richie Benaud from today's lunch interval is now available to listen to again via the TMS podcast page.
Eng 85-3
APCopyright: AP
Sulieman Benn has not looked at all threatening so far: a giant, docile house-cat in counterpoint to Jerome Taylor's menacing, muscular panther at the other end. Another innocuous over allows England to keep the scoreboard ticking, with Bell paddling the ball over his shoulder for two to bring up the 50 partnership between these two.
"Here's a situation where West Indies will need to concentrate as in the past, they would have made early inroads many times but the [opposition's] middle order has got them out of trouble."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).
Eng 81-3 (Bell 29*, Root 24*)
A moment of good fortune for Bell, who edges a Taylor outswinger through the vacant third slip region for four. That ran away like a rivulet of ice-cream on a hot tarmac road. Bell, who looks in good touch, collects four more with a characteristically peachy cover drive from a slightly overpitched delivery, and suddenly England are motoring.
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Henry in Bristol: KP hasn't come out at number four for Surrey. Fingers crossed he's on his way to Antigua.
Kenny from Glasgow (originally Belfast): Seriously, how bad are this England team? I wish the ICC would hurry up and give us Test status (Ireland) so we can join the international party at pumping them!
Eng 73-3
Benn continues. Root, who has looked very good off the back foot, dabs a late cut behind square for a single, before Bell forces backward point into action with a more forceful cut, which brings him one.
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Joshua Edwards: Anyone considered the revolutionary idea that England just don't have the calibre or quality and it's really no one's fault?
David Simpson: If Bell and Root stick around and accelerate, put together a 150-run partnership, all will be forgotten. Sadly will precede collapse.
Eng 71-3 (Bell 20*, Root 23*)
Taylor keeps it tight against Bell for a maiden over. The skies look clear after that tiniest of rain interruptions we had earlier.
"I didn't play in the abandoned Test here in 2009 - Monty Panesar did - but I was picked for the replacement fixture at the Recreation Ground after I got Andrew Strauss out three or four times in practice. Always bowl well to the captain in the nets."
Eng 71-3
The discipline that characterised the West Indies' effort before lunch has just slackened here - Benn dishes up an airy full toss off the first ball of his over, and Root lances the infield with a surgical sweep shot for another boundary. And the young Yorkshire tyro finds the rope again, larruping a cut shot behind square from another poor delivery. Eighteen runs off the last three overs for England, who are beginning to perk up in the afternoon sun.
Eng 63-3 (Bell 20*, Root 15*)
England's run rate has just nudged above two for the first time in a while - the ailing patient is just beginning to show the faintest of pulses again. Bell continues the resuscitation of the England innings with a disdainful pull behind square from a poor short ball by Taylor.
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Peter Rawley, Puerto Rico: When Downton left the whole lot should have left - selectors, managers, coaches. They are utterly useless and Cook is their representative on the field, poor devil.
Eng 57-3
Root, who has looked the busiest of England's batsmen so far, gets his first runs after lunch with a delightful late cut that teases the diving fielder at slip and brings two runs. He adds a couple more with a push into the covers.
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Mandip Bhogal in Surrey: Poor session from England. Ah well, that's the way the Cooky crumbles....
"I'd want my runs in the first innings here. I think it's going to turn later on."
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Eng 53-3 (Bell 14*, Root 11*)
Jerome Taylor will open up after lunch from the other end. Ian Bell brings up the first runs of the afternoon sessions with the finest of glances of his hips, which trundles down to the boundary for four. The ball after, he is struck on the pads by a full away-swinger from Taylor, but there's no alarm as the batsman got an inside edge on it.
Eng 49-3
A lazy, languid restart to proceedings. Sulieman Benn, with his long, loping delivery stride, sends down six gentle tweakers which Joe Root bats away with minimal concern, like a sunbather wafting away flies. A maiden.
Post update
Thanks Mitch. Sulieman Benn is going to send down some spin in what should be a gentle introduction to the afternoon session for Joe Root and Ian Bell...
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Post update
After those touching tributes to Richie Benaud on TMS, the umpires are out and it's time to begin the second session from Antigua - so over to James Gheerbrant to talk you through it.
"You hear a lot of nationalistic commentators know, but Richie was very fair and always impartial. Garry Sobers told me how you always knew if it came from Richie, it was gospel. But he was always reticent about talking about himself, as it was always about the game."
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Ade: As an England fan, I've put up with some terrible things over the last few years. Yet as bad as we were in the last Ashes, at the start of last summer, and all through this winter, I'm not sure anything that's happened has annoyed me as much as when I got in from work today and saw the England team. Have we learned nothing? After weeks of talk about being old-fashioned and behind the game (admittedly in ODIs), the brave new era starts with Trott over Lyth and Tredwell over Rashid. The conservatism of the management in English cricket is astonishing. And the minority that text and tweet in support of them and their selections are part of the problem.
"When you asked him for advice, he was very helpful. But apart from that, he always kept himself to himself. He would get there early, find a little corner where he could see the cricket, and he'd be on his computer writing or gambling, as he loved the horses. But he never missed a trick - he would only help you if you asked him."
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James in London: Nice touch by England today as part of the Remembering Richie feature. Managed to engineer the fall of wickets to chwenty chew for chew.
"I went to Australia in 1965-66, Richie had finished as a player by then but was picked to play for the Prime Minister's XI and Canberra. He bowled me a couple which I pulled over mid-wicket, then a quicker top-spinner which hit me plumb in front, I got the benefit of the doubt and he just looked at me and glared. He was much more cavalier as a player than a commentator."
"You'd learn a lot from Richie. I got to know himself and his wife Daphne through a Trinidadian who had lived in Australia for many years. When he last came to Barbados, I organised a lunch for the surviving West Indians from the 60-61 series, such as Sir Garry Sobers and Sir Everton Weekes. Richie said he didn't want any publicity, but he fell in the shower and damaged his ribs, so I had to cancel the dinner. Daphne heard about this, and said Richie would come whatever happens - so I had to rebook the restaurant."
Listen to TMS's Richie Benaud tribute via the audio icon (available in UK only).
Join the debate at #bbccricket
Charlie Franklin: Would love to see James Vince given a run in the side. Definitely deserves a call-up.
Tommy C: Too many players included in this England squad picked on sentiment that are simply not good enough at the moment.
The Knights of the Caribbean
In case you were wondering, last year's triple knighting ceremony for Andy Roberts, Curtly Ambrose and Richie Richardson at this stadium means the Windies can boast a full XI of cricketing knights.
In alphabetical (rather than batting) order, they are: Sir Curtly Ambrose (Antigua), Sir Learie Constantine, later Lord Constantine (Trinidad), Reverend Sir Wes Hall (Barbados), Sir Conrad Hunte (Barbados), Sir Viv Richards (Antigua), Sir Richie Richardson (Antigua), Sir Andy Roberts (Antigua), Sir Garfield Sobers (Barbados), Sir Clyde Walcott (Barbados), Sir Everton Weekes (Barbados), and Sir Frank Worrell (Barbados).
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David Hill: Obviously congratulations to West Indies for bowling well but oh dear, how far can England fall? From all the reports the batting lacks complete confidence, but given that Cook, Ballance and Trott are all struggling it is perhaps little wonder they are three down and that must put enormous pressure on those following. It just seems to me that if Peter Moores had read the data then he would have known that this was the likely outcome.
Remembering Richie
Impressionist Rory Bremner: "I found a lovely quote from Richie which said 'Captaincy is 90% luck and 10% skill - but don't try it without that 10%'."
Listen to TMS's Richie Benaud tribute via the audio icon (available in UK only).
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Ruairi, Putney: 49 runs in a whole session, how slow and dull. Cook, Trott and Ballance combined clearly does not have the necessary firepower. We need to look to other countries where shorter form of the game batsmen are being moulded into the Test game for explosive starts. Why not work on the likes of Hales or Morgan?
Remembering Richie
When was the first time you were aware of impersonators taking you off?
The late Richie Benaud, speaking in 2005: "I like satire, that's why I like Rory Bremner. For a long while I didn't meet Billy Birmingham, the 'Twelfth Man', which built up something of an aura about it. What I do object to is someone using my voice or image to sell anything - there are a few of them around, which is dishonest. Quite a few of them [impersonators] shouldn't give up their day jobs."
Listen to TMS's Richie Benaud tribute via the audio icon (available in UK only).
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Jon in London: All very well saying back your captain, but the long and the short of it is that being an aggressive player/captain/team is the norm these days, and not the exception. Cookie just hasn't moved on... neither have England.
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Remembering Richie
What would you have made of modern coaching, with everything on a laptop?
The late Richie Benaud, speaking in 2005: "I can't see why I would have wanted them in my dressing room. I got my coaching from Miller, Morris, and Lindwall. Why should I want to talk to a laptop?"
Listen to TMS's Richie Benaud tribute via the audio icon (available in UK only).
Join the debate at #bbccricket
Chris Doughty: England look and feel like they're batting in straitjackets.
Leo Watson: Moores and Cook might blame fatigue or KP-related distractions, but the facts are they are making simple errors of judgement.
Remembering Richie
The late Richie Benaud, speaking in 2005: "The funniest moment on commentary? Close to it would be Rodney Marsh tackling a streaker at Edgbaston, when I said it was the only catch he'd made all day."
Listen to TMS's Richie Benaud tribute via the audio icon (available in UK only).
Join the debate at #bbccricket
Andy: I am starting the 'Bring back Collingwood' campaign to save English cricket! A five-for and a century, a man in form.
Peter MacDiarmid: Not sure 49-3 is the way to put all talk of the return of KP to bed. At least he's not been in the runs this week...
Remembering Richie
The tributes to Richie Benaud begin with an archive interview from 2005, his last Test series as a commentator in England.
Among the county hopefuls, by the way, is England's Moeen Ali, who was not fit enough to join the start of the tour after he was injured during the World Cup.
Richard McConnell in Glasgow: Re: Ian Haffey in Barcelona (see 16:55): I totally agree with Ian, we should drop Broad, Trott, and Cook. I mean, what have they ever won?... oh.
Or, we could actually give them a chance, instead of writing off the whole series based on one ropey morning of Test cricket. My word, do you think successful teams gain success by making wholesale changes? The Aussies achieved it through a change of management and by backing their captain.
So, an unhappy return to Test cricket for Jonathan Trott in his 50th Test -Test Match Specialare going to check in with Kevin Howells for the county scores, but after that, they will be paying tribute to the late Richie Benaud.
"The West Indies' bowling has been excellent, but despite it being a completely different format, England have been the same as they were as the World Cup. There's been a lack of initiative, a fear of failure."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).
Post update
A chastened England leave the field. While questions were asked about West Indies' decision to field first, some impressively tight bowling has kept their foot on the England jugular for most of the time.
"The West Indies have been excellent. England had the worst possible start, and it's now 33 innings since Alastair Cook's last Test hundred, which is a real concern. It's been a timid start to the series from England, and one of these two batsmen has to go on and get a big score."
Lunch interval
Eng 49-3 (25 overs)
Time for one more over before lunch. Holder tosses the ball from hand to hand, more in the manner of a spinner than a pace bowler, before testing Bell with a probing line outside off stump. Bell - named as vice-captain for this tour - briefly consults with umpire Steve Davis when it looks like he has something in his eye, but sees off a maiden. Time for lunch.
"West Indies have certainly played on England's lack of confidence, but I don't think they've just lobbed it up and bowled negatively. But I still think batting first is the best option - it's certainly going to start spinning."
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Eng 49-3 (Bell 10*, Root 11*)
Root joins Bell in double figures with a couple of twos down towards third man.
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Ian Haffey in Barcelona: Those calling for a large or small-scale clean out have failed to mention one of the oustanding forces for conservatism and avoidance of risk within English cricket: Alastair Cook. Certainly not in the team these days for his batting and far, far away from a tactical genius as captain, why is he there? He is a towering remnant of the old guard and will always want teams with the composition of today's. You can be sure that, whatever their performance may be and, barring injury, Broad and Trott will play all three Tests.
Eng 45-3
Ian Bell becomes the third man into double figures today as he chops Holder for a single - England will rely on him to go further than Cook (11) and Ballance (10) who both stalled after reaching that mark. Root manages to nick the strike with a leg bye off the last ball.
Eng 43-3 (Bell 9*, Root 7*)
The bearded Benn is swept for a single by Bell - there are a couple of umbrellas still up at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, but in sunshade rather than rain-protection mode. Root cuts a two, the outfield is a little slow, while not for the first time today, play is held up as someone had wandered in front of the sightscreen. Twelfth man Jonny Bairstow brings on a fresh pair of gloves at the end of the over.
"Joe Root has come out and he's looking to score. He's waiting for anything short he can latch on to with the pull shot or the cut shot, but this infield is very hard to pierce."
Eng 40-3 (Holder 6-2-12-1)
Holder has three slips in for Root, with Big Benn stationed at gully, while the subject of Aggers' new hat is causing a little mirth on TMS, with Michael Vaughan labelling it as "a ladies' hat". Root stands tall - as tall as he can manage against the two giants currently doing the bowling for West Indies - and sees off a maiden over.
"The discipline of the West Indies bowlers has been impressive today - not something you could usually say over the last 15 years or so."
Eng 40-3 (Bell 8*, Root 5*)
It's still Jason Holder charging in from the Sir Andy Roberts End. Root cuts him for four, only the third boundary off the bat we've seen today.
The sun is back out, presumably Sir Viv has had a word with the appropriate authorities for daring to rain on his stadium.
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Guy in Shropshire: England's only justification for such a poor World Cup performance was that we as a nation prioritise the longer format of the game. Now we've collapsed against one of the weakest Test sides in the world... Turmoil.
Cliff in Tamworth: This is simply not good enough. No foot work, no technique, no idea! Making West Indies attack look like Australians, my word it is going to be a long depressing summer having to watch us being put to the sword.
"From what little I've seen of Root so far, he looks a magnificent player."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon.
Eng 36-3
Kemar Roach can hold his head high with figures of 8-4-8-1 - but he takes a rest for the first time as West Indies turn to the towering Sulieman Benn, who must be the tallest left-arm spinner ever to play Test cricket, unless any of you can remember any others?
Big Benn bowls to (not-so-big) Bell - with a slip and a short leg in, the England fourth-wicket pair add one gentle single apiece.
"You see Joe Root in the flesh and you wonder: 'Has he passed his A-levels yet?'"
Eng 34-3 (Bell 7*, Root 0*)
Holder has one ball of his over left - it's defended by Joe Root.
For those of you who may be just joining us, England lost Jonathan Trott in the first over, and have since lost Alastair Cook for 11 and Gary Ballance for 10. We have just under half-an-hour until lunch.
Post update
The on-field umpires confer with fourth umpire Joel Wilson - not to be confused with BBC sports news correspondent Joe Wilson - and the players are back on. Less than 10 minutes lost - let's play.
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Home Alone Phil: England are playing village cricket at the moment.
Antony Stewart: Great bowling from the Windies so far. Bell & Root will have to bail England out again, when the liquid sunshine stops falling.
"England have looked very timid. Their footwork and their mindset has been about looking to survive rather than getting on top of the West Indies. All the West Indies bowlers have done is dangle the carrot."
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Post update
The rain is something of a Twenty20 shower - as no sooner are the covers draped over the square, the rain stops and they're dragged off. We should be starting again very soon.
"Gary Ballance was out for 10, which is the same score he made in his first three World Cup innings. He faced 46 balls, but didn't score off the last 21."
Rain stops play
Eng 34-3 (16.5 overs)
And no sooner has next man Joe Root walked onto the field, the umpires bring the players off for rain.
"I've spent some time with Kevin Pietersen and I found him to be a highly confident individual. He's 35 this summer, but you can still bat - Kumar Sangakkara is the perfect example."
Eng 31-2 (Roach 8-4-8-1)
More pressure from Roach as he goes round the wicket and whistles one just past Ballance's back-foot defensive shot. Great spell from the right-armer from Barbados, how long can he keep going?
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Tom Colocci: Apart from the fact that Trott isn't an opener, the reason they needed to pick Lyth was to show county cricket is still relevant. If a player averages 70 in a season and gets overlooked in favour of a number three, why should we bother watching county cricket if the selectors don't?
"Ian Bell took 20 balls to get off the mark, equalling his record for his slowest start to a Test innings."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon.
Eng 31-2
The towering Holder is keeping it nice and tight for the Windies, but after starting his innings with 19 dot balls, a streaky drive just past point for four gets Ian Bell off the mark. We've had 15 overs in an hour and a quarter, hopefully some spin later might help the over-rate.
"It's been said for some time now that there are some promising individuals in the West Indies side, but we need a proper framework to help these kids. We have got to give [new coach] Phil Simmons the tools to get the job done."
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Gary Blacker in Wirral: Going to have to agree with Geoffrey, but only to a point. Sending home half the back room staff is only half a job... he should send the lot home and make a space for Peter Moores as well. We could have made huge changes after the World Cup, instead we fluffed it again. Sorry to say it, but the future isn't looking any brighter in my opinion.
Eng 27-2 (Roach 7-3-8-1)
Play resumes with Roach beginning his seventh over, Ballance's footwork isn't entirely convincing and he plays and misses with a tentative prod. Another maiden.
"It's a splendid day for the game here at the Vivian Richards Stadium. The only compliments that West Indies can be paid are that after winning the toss they have got two early wickets, but I don't see any devil in the wicket."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon.
Post update
And not only does this ground have both ends named after cricketing knights, it must also be the only ground in the world where the TMS summarisers' ranks include the man after whom the stadium is named - welcome Sir Viv Richards.
"Jonathan Trott didn't use the word 'depression' [when he left the Ashes tour], and neither did the England medical staff, and there was a lot of debate on very little information. So when the truth emerged, which was closer to burn-out, I think there was a little bit of rowing back and confusion."
Drinks break
Eng 27-2
Plenty of England fans in the stands - probably outnumbering the locals, which they'll certainly do by the time of the Barbados Test. Bell tries a pull shot but just cracks it down into the pitch and there's no run. A maiden means it's two runs from four overs - proper Test cricket, if you like - and the players have earned some drinks.
"The plan from Roach seems to be to push the ball across Gary Ballance towards the slips and make him play."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon.
Eng 27-2 (Ballance 10*, Bell 0*)
Roach is still dangling the carrot across Ballance's off stump from over the wicket, but the left-hander is happy to leave anything too wide. Another maiden - Roach has a none-too-shabby 1-8 from six overs.
"Holder is getting good carry, which you would expect at 6ft 7ins. If anything the ball is just swinging away a little bit."
Eng 27-2
West Indies make their first bowling change as Jason Holder is on at the Sir Andy Roberts End. Freed from the burden of captaincy he shoulders in the one-day side (with Denesh Ramdin continuing as Test captain), young Bajan right-armer Holder is only playing his fourth Test. Ballance adds a single, Bell - sporting some new padding on the back of his helmet (following the manufacturer's redesign after the death of Phillip Hughes) - is yet to score.
"I think it's a safe side that England have picked. They've gone back to Jonathan Trott and James Tredwell, who have played before, they've picked three seamers who are all around the same pace. They could have picked a bowler like Liam Plunkett with extra pace, or the leg-spinner in Adil Rashid. You're never going to find anything out about these players by bowling them in the nets."
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Eng 26-2 (Ballance 9*, Bell 0*)
Geoffrey is really coming off the long run here on TMS, calling for new ECB chief executive Tom Harrison to "send half the backroom staff home, now", while calling for Liam Plunkett and Adil Rashid to have been picked - in contrast, it's still a sedate approach from England as Ballance and Bell look to see off the opening bowlers. We've reached the 10-over mark.
"Look out for Jermaine Blackwood chasing after the ball in the outfield. He's from Jamaica and he really does have Usain Bolt pace."
Eng 25-2
As you might have imagined (probably even before those two wickets fell), Geoffrey Boycott isn't happy that Yorkshire opener Adam Lyth is carrying the drinks today. He's purring as Gary Ballance helps himself to an easy two off his legs, but he's chuntering again about the "farcical" warm-up game in St Kitts. Meanwhile, new batsman Ian Bell takes guard for the first time.
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Jon Dunn: That hasn't swung or seemed. It was just full and straight. And missed. Shocking dismissal.
Ben Sawyer: At 22-2 I think that might be one tribute to Richie too far from the England team.
"It was a beauty from Roach, who hadn't really threatened before that. Cook seemed to have everything covered but the ball just snuck between bat and pad."
"It was perfect line, perfect length, if anything it just fractionally offered to come back into him, but the shot was late and Cook left a gap between bat and pad."
WICKET
Cook b Roach 11 (Eng 22-2)
And just as he looked back in "the zone" knocking Roach for that four, Cook leaves a yawning chasm between bat and pad, and loses his off bail. Those who scoffed at West Indies' decision to field first aren't scoffing now.
And in a possible tribute to the late Richie Benaud, England are (all together now) 22 for 2. Marvellous.
"Opening batsmen are supposed to face the new ball when it's doing a little bit. The movement is so fractional that if you can't play that as a top three batsman, you're in the wrong job."
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Eng 18-1
Taylor crowds Ballance with a short mid-wicket brought into a catching position, just over the shoulder of the helmeted short leg. But the Jamaican quick is a little wayward with his line, as Ballance helps himself to a two through the covers, before Taylor fires one down the leg side, skipper/keeper Denesh Ramdin gets a glove to it but can only push it away for five wides. The first boundary of the day, and it earns England a burst of music from Chickie's Disco - which has made it to North Sound from the old Antigua Recreation Ground.
"The West Indies will hope that they can take advantage of some early swing and pick up two or three wickets, because once that swing wears off I think this is going to be a cracking batting pitch."
Eng 9-1
It's the Taylor and Roach show for West Indies as the game enters its sixth over of right-arm pace - we can expect ODI captain Jason Holder, back in the ranks in this format, on as first change, with fellow man-mountain Sulieman Benn available to bowl left-arm spin, while we might also see Marlon Samuels's off-spin a little later. Cook and Ballance add a single apiece.
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Joe Wilson
BBC News sports correspondent
On Twitter: "Spoke to Trott about just that eventuality before this match, good balls happen, let's back his new found perspective..."
"Jerome Taylor has looked the business, as he did during the World Cup. Trott went very early indeed and I'm sure that's going to cause a lot of ripples."
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Eng 7-1
TMS welcomes Tony Cozier - the undisputed voice of West Indies cricket for several decades - back on commentary duty as Ballance is finally off the mark from the 10th ball he receives with a push through the covers. Taylor, round the wicket, retains a short-leg fielder for the England captain, while the slip cordon is now the land of the giants, with Jason Holder at third slip and Sulieman Benn at gully. Cook nudges one off his legs, and young Kraigg Brathwaite, shin pads and all, has to give chase from short leg as the batsmen run three.
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AJPS: Ballance is a hugely talented Test batsman, hoping for a big innings from him to remove any doubts after a poor World Cup.
James Gutteridge: If Ballance manages a good score today can we put the 'Trott must play' theory to bed?
Eng 3-1
Roach has three slips and a gully in, still bowling across the two left-handers and testing Cook with a bouncer, at which he hooks and misses. Another maiden.
For those of you who remember Allen Stanford's cricket ground, next to Antigua's airport, it's "completely gone to seed" according to Aggers - there are now football goalposts up there. For those of you who don't remember, it would take a whole separate live text to explain the events of that astonishing "Stanford week" in 2008.
"Kemar Roach is certainly not the genuine fast bowler he was two or three years ago. He's clicked down 10mph, he must be trying to swing it instead."
Eng 3-1
There's a hold-up mid-over - this naturally makes one nervous, though we've only managed 14 balls at this stage, compared to the 10 the last time England played a Test on this ground - but thankfully the delay is just to summon a helmet and shin pads for a short-leg fielder (who is nevertheless wearing a chunky white wristwatch, hopefully a shatterproof one).
Taylor switches to bowling round the wicket to the left-handed Ballance, who is understandably watchful. Maiden over.
"Jonathan Trott is playing his 50th Test, but this is only the third time he has opened in Test cricket, and only the 21st time he has opened in first-class cricket."
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Close!
Eng 3-1
Kemar Roach, a thick gold chain rattling around his neck, opens up from the Sir Curtly Ambrose End - and he nearly removes Cook with his third ball as he slants it across Cook, it takes the outside edge and doesn't quite carry to Bravo at slip.
The chastened Cook nudges a single off his legs, fellow left-hander Ballance attempts to do the same, and adds a leg bye to the score.
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David Hall: And what was the point of having Trott back in the team? Should have played Lyth.
Wyndham Hacket Pain: Ohh... Jonathan Trott. I think we all wished for a happier return.
Richie Macca: Nightmare for Trott. Good delivery to get early on, but he should be leaving that.
"I'm very comfortable watching Gary Ballance come out in white clothing. I think we'll see a very different sort of Ballance than we did during the World Cup."
Eng 1-1
An early trip to the crease for Gary Ballance, who negotiates his first ball. Along with Joe Root, he's one of two Yorkshire players in the XI today - with Adam Lyth, Adil Rashid and Liam Plunkett all carrying the drinks.
"It was a rather tentative, poky sort of shot. It was a nice outswinger but he just offered the bat at it."
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WICKET
Trott c Bravo b Taylor 0 (Eng 1-1)
Trott's comeback lasts only three balls as Taylor produces the perfect outswinger which the Warwickshire man edges to first slip. Not what he'd have wanted after nearly 18 months away from Test cricket.
Captain Cook, looking more natural in whites than he ever does in limited-overs clothing, gets England under way with a back-foot prod into the covers for one. So an early chance for Jonathan Trott to characteristically rake his crease. For his first ball, he comes across to the off side, exposing his leg stump and the ball whistles down the leg side, coming within inches of bowling him first ball...
"I'm completely flabbergasted by the West Indies' decision to bowl first. The wicket looks an absolute belter. There's no grass, so it's a very strange option."
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Post update
Jerome Taylor is going to take the new ball from the Sir Andy Roberts End - Aggers thinks it must be the only Test ground in the world where both ends are named after knighted ex-cricketers.
The Barbados ends, you may remember, are named after Joel Garner and the late Malcolm Marshall.
Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott prepare to do battle for England.
Farewell Richie
Cricket lost one of its true legends a few days ago - both teams have formed a guard of honour either side of the wicket, and are standing to observe a minute's silence in memory of the great Richie Benaud. Players and umpires are also wearing black armbands.
"I would have gone with Adil Rashid. He's been the standout spinner in county cricket. It would have been the perfect chance. I think it's a very safe selection. If you look at James Tredwell in four-day cricket over the last few years, he hasn't been very good."
Post update
Gosh, it seems the selection of James Tredwell is raising many people's hackles - and not just those from Yorkshire hoping for a Test cap for Adil Rashid.
Tredders' second Test cap comes five years after his first, when he was picked as the second spinner alongside Graeme Swann in Bangladesh.
"I'm really surprised that the West Indies have chosen to bowl first. There's nothing in the pitch. It's dry, there's been a bit of swing but it's been spinning square, which tells you that the ball will turn as the game progresses. But maybe they know something we don't."
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Duncan Saunders: Isn't James Tredwell a drinks waiter? No? Well that's all he's been used for in the last eight months.
Mark Adamoulas: Great to see Jonathan Trott healthy & back in the England fold!
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The Sir Vivian Richards Stadium has honoured two of Antigua's former great fast bowlers, who were both knighted during the ODI series on this ground last year. The men in question are Sir Curtly Ambrose and Sir Andy Roberts - so it's a welcome to the Ambrose End and the Roberts End.
Captain's view
England captain Alastair Cook: "We were going to have a bat. It's a little bit tacky now but we wanted first use of it.
"It's great to have Trotty back. He's been through a bit of a journey and it's amazing that he's back."
On James Anderson's 100th Test: "He is the most skilful bowler I've seen, alongside his work ethic and discipline to stay fit. We hope we can make it a special week for him."
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Thaqif Islam: No disrespect to him but really see any positives from Tredwell's selection... hardly the future of England?
Philip Brooks: No Lyth? What does he need to do to get in the team? Yorkshire could do with those four players sunbathing in the Caribbean.
What about the Windies?
It's fair to say that while some England fans' eyes may be on a certain batsman making hay against student bowling attacks, West Indies are without some of their big names - with big-hitting opener Chris Gayle the most prominent absentee as his persistent back injury is preventing him from lasting through five-day cricket - although it didn't stop him making 96 from 56 balls in the Indian Premier League the other night.
Ireland fans may also feel a little wistful as their former coach Phil Simmons takes charge of a Test side for the first time, having replaced Ottis Gibson as Windies coach. (Gibson has since returned to his old role as England bowling coach).
The familiar sound of "Soul Limbo" - particularly appropriate for Tests in the Caribbean - heralds the return of Test Match Special to the airwaves.
For those of you who may have been enjoying county cricket commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra until now, you can still listen to every county game via the BBC Sport website - this page is a one-stop shop for all the commentaries.
Line-ups
West Indies: Devon Smith, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Jermaine Blackwood, Denesh Ramdin (capt & wk), Jason Holder, Jerome Taylor, Kemar Roach, Sulieman Benn.
England: Alastair Cook (capt), Jonathan Trott, Gary Ballance, Joe Root, Ian Bell, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wk), Chris Jordan, Stuart Broad, James Tredwell. James Anderson.
It's an Antipodean umpiring crew with Billy Bowden and Steve Davis on the field, and Bruce Oxenford on TV replays.
Get involved
So, from their last Test all those months ago, England have made three changes - with Jonathan Trott, Ben Stokes and James Tredwell replacing Sam Robson, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes. West Indies have three seamers with Sulieman Benn as the sole spinner.
We'd love to know what you make of it all - so do email us at tms@bbc.co.uk (with "For Mark Mitchener" in the subject line), text 81111 if you're in the UK, tweet us via #bbccricket or get involved via the BBC Sport Facebook page.
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Anderson approaches milestones
There is also the expectation that this should be a memorable Test in more ways than one for James Anderson. The leader of England's attack is due to step onto the field for his 100th Test, while he is also three wickets short of equalling Ian Botham's England record of 383 wickets from 102 Tests.
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New opener, please
So, for the fifth time in eight Test series since the retirement of Andrew Strauss, England captain Alastair Cook will have another new opening partner. Following Nick Compton (three series), Joe Root (one), Michael Carberry (one) and Sam Robson (two), it's the turn of Jonathan Trott to accompany the Chef to face the new ball.
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Toss
West Indies have won the toss and put England in - though Alastair Cook says he would have batted anyway.
It looks a balmy day in North Sound. The headline team news for England is that Jonathan Trott opens, Ben Stokes is back at number six, and James Tredwell is preferred to Adil Rashid as the sole spinner.
The second Test - destined to be the shortest of all time - was only 10 balls old when it was abandoned because of an unfit outfield, with the West Indies bowlers struggling to keep their footing on the sandy soil. Not that those of us paying punters watching from the stands were even told about the abandonment for about half an hour - I found out in a text message from a friend in the UK.
Since then, conditions have improved - England returned there last year for three one-dayers while the stadium has since staged one more Test, against New Zealand in 2012.
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New balls, please
Afternoon, everyone. England's fans have been gorged on a diet of nothing but limited-overs cricket for nearly eight months - but all you five-day devotees can come out of hibernation now, as England have donned their whites for the first time since the fifth Test against India in August 2014, which feels like a lifetime ago.
And for the first time in six years, they have a Test series in the Caribbean with which to contend.
Live Reporting
Mark Mitchener and James Gheerbrant
All times stated are UK
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Latest PostPost update
That's about it for today - I'm sure it's nearly your bedtime - but if you can't get enough of your cricket, it all starts again (in a domestic sense) at 11:00 BST tomorrow with ball-by-ball commentary on every county game. If you're off on your travels, you can sign up for wicket alerts on the BBC Sport app.
As far as England are concerned, they will resume on 341-5 in Antigua tomorrow at 15:00 BST - we'll be back here with the live text at 14:30, with TMS on air from 14:45. Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel. Make sure you join us then - bye for now.
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David Wallace in Spain: We could be in for some fun tomorrow if both Stokes and Buttler get cracking, one at either end.
Post update
So, a mixed day which began with West Indies winning the toss and fielding first - and taking three quick wickets as Trott, Cook and Ballance all fell cheaply.
Ian Bell (143) then added 177 with Joe Root (83) and 130 with Ben Stokes (71 not out), who remains there at the close, although Bell fell with six balls remaining.
Oddly enough, England's three team changes from their last Test - Trott, Stokes and Tredwell - have all featured at the crease today, with Trott caught for a third-ball duck, Stokes tucking into a tiring Windies attack, and Tredwell sent out as nightwatchman but not facing a ball.
Post update
Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special
"Lovely footwork from Root and Bell, there's a sense of urgency in Root's cricket and he bats like a busy Australian batsman like Michael Slater who runs like hell and puts the pressure on the fielders. Bell played beautifully and it was a different game. By the time they got to the evening session, it was buffet bowling, and it was mayhem - without slogging."
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Porschehead: Perhaps it's getting close to the time to stand Cookie down as captain & let him get some runs without added pressure.
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Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special
"I'd be thinking of beating West Indies here, but Australia is the biggest test at the moment. So I'd be thinking 'what is my best batting line-up' and given Adam Lyth a go to see if he could cut it. Gary Ballance likes to shovel it off his legs, they tucked him up and he edged it. Hey, if the captain doesn't hurry up and get runs soon, there could be another place opening."
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Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special
"I'd show Jonathan Trott the pictures and show how he was on the move when he was playing the ball. Cook was playing all right, then was late on a good-length straight ball, it came through the gate and bowled him. That might be rustiness because of the pathetic lack of practices, as in those two-day warm-up matches, players were coming backwards and forwards like the Seven Dwarves. That's not the player's fault, that's the administrator's fault. I would have batted Trott in his proper position at three - can he cut it again at three for when Australia come? Rahul Dravid was a fantastic player at number three but could not cut it opening."
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Richard Carter: Re 22:22. I take it all back. Ian Bell's from Coventry!
Post update
England batsman Ian Bell, who made 143: "It was a tricky first morning up 'til lunch. We knew it would do a bit in that first hour. They bowled well for two hours, but the wicket dried out a bit.
"I wanted them to get me out, not give my wicket away. It's nice to be in this position at the close. There's plenty more to do and kick on."
On Ben Stokes, who made 71 not out: "He's played well. Hopefully he can go on and get a big hundred for us. We've got Jos Buttler to come - it's going to be aggressive cricket."
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Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special
"An excellent day for England, West Indies cricket isn't very strong and lacks discipline. There was a lack of urgency and energy from their bowling and fielding - and they made a stupid decision to put the opposition in to bat. They must have been frightened to death of the England seamers."
Post update
Ian Bell has been sent out to speak to the media - we'll hear from him soon. It's also time to get your tin hats on as Aggers and Boycott warm up for their review of the day, which will be available later as the TMS podcast.
Already available on the podcast page is TMS's lunchtime tribute to the late Richie Benaud.
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David: Cook and Moores have just been summed up, send in Tredwell to stand at non-striker's end as a nightwatchman. Wake up @ECB_cricket.
scott lennon: Tredwell never faced a ball. What a ridiculous decision to put a nightwatchman in at the non-striker's end with six balls left.
Gareth Neale: Why isn't Jimmy Anderson nightwatchman? He's only 51 shy of getting 1,000 Test runs. Against this attack, he might just get them.
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Philip Carr: Super fire-fighting work from Bell, Root and Stokes.
Jamie Green: Ian Bell shouldn't be frustrated, he's just bought himself another series.
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Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special
"It was very tricky for Trott coming back in, especially to open the batting. If he comes back, he bats at three - he's the best number three England have had for some time. That's where he has always been the most effective. If you need an opening batsmen, you use an opening batsmen. If that means Ballance or Bell moves down the order, so be it."
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Tony Cozier
BBC Test Match Special
"What Stokes and Bell have done is take some of the pressure off Jonathan Trott because his selection was questionable. He had failed in two of the innings in the warm-up matches in St Kitts. He looked tense."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).
Post update
Graeme Swann is certain that it will make a world of difference for West Indies, now going through some warm-down stretches on the outfield, with a number "5" in the wickets column rather then "4". It will certainly have given them a late lift after two sessions where England unquestionably had the upper hand.
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Terry Mahoney: We've missed this. This being England having the upper hand in a cricket match.
Post update
Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special
"It was a real shame for Ian Bell because after fighting so hard, until the penultimate over of the day, to get an absolute ripper, It was probably the only time he would have hit that ball - he'd have missed it at any other time. But credit to Kemar Roach."
Close-of-play scorecard
England 341-5 (90 overs)
Batsmen: Stokes 71*, Tredwell 0*
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Trott 0), 22-2 (Cook 11), 34-3 (Ballance 10), 211-4 (Root 83), 341-5
Bowling figures: Taylor 15-2-79-2, Roach 21-4-66-2, Holder 18-7-55-1, Benn 26-3-85-0, Samuels 10-0-46-0
West Indies won toss
Full scorecard
Post update
So, while Ian Bell's 143 was the centrepiece of the day, well supported by Joe Root's 83, Ben Stokes will resume the innings tomorrow morning unbeaten on 71. Accompanied by a nightwatchman who hasn't faced a ball.
Post update
Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special
"Stokes has batted beautifully. Especially since that second new ball, he has played some crunching drives and anything short he has just swatted away. He made sure this was definitely England's day."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).
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Luke Berry: England are back! Not really but Bell deserves, at the very least, a firm handshake.
Close of play
Eng 341-5
Jason Holder to send down the last over of the day. At no point does Ben Stokes ever look like taking a run, so the redundant nightwatchman Tredwell stays at the non-striker's end. Still, perhaps he'll get the chance to make a name for himself with the bat tomorrow - given that England often judge bowlers on whether they can bat, rather than whether they can bowl.
Post update
Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special
"Psychologically, putting your head down on the pillow knowing you've not got to bowl at the man with 140 tomorrow, it gives you hope. West Indies will go out tomorrow knowing they're not far off bowling at the England bowlers."
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A curious decision - not only have England sent out a nightwatchman ahead of their number seven Jos Buttler (evidently viewing him as a frontline batsman), the aforementioned watchman, James Tredwell, may not get to face a ball here as there's only one over left and Stokes is on strike.
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Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special
"An absolute peach from Kemar Roach - bouncing, just leaving him, and it's just a little tickle. Bell walks off to rapturous applause. What a time for West Indies to get a wicket."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).
WICKET
Bell c Ramdin b Roach 143 (Eng 341-5)
Just when it looked like he was booking in for bed and breakfast, Ian Bell's long vigil is ended as he edges a beautiful outswinger from Roach to the delighted keeper-captain Denesh Ramdin, getting on the back foot and trying to prod it back to the bowler. It ends a stand of 130 from 25.4 overs.
Scorecard
Post update
Tony Cozier
BBC Test Match Special
"This last session has been absolutely carnage. The new ball has gone all over the place."
Eng 335-4
Holder goes round the wicket but serves one up short and wide for Stokes, who gleefully helps it down to third man - a boundary which has been left vacant all day. England are on triple-Nelson (333) for the briefest of times as a single takes Stokes to 71 from his first 71 balls on a day when the Durham all-rounder (yes, I know, born in Christchurch, New Zealand for all you completists) has triumphantly returned to the international stage. Two overs left.
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KM: Good recovery from the morning. Shows that the run rate at the start of the day/innings is not the be-all and end-all.
Eng 328-4 (Bell 136*, Stokes 66*)
Roach has changed ends to replace the expensive Taylor, and the flow of boundaries is momentarily stemmed. Three overs left tonight, and there are some weary bodies out there among the Windies fielders.
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Bryony Lever: Why don't we ask Ian Bell where he considers himself to be from?
Eng 325-4
West Indies recall the tall Jason Holder to the attack, there are two slips and a gully in, but the fielding remains a little sloppy as Bell and Stokes pick up ones and twos with consummate ease, while Bell unleashes one of his classy cover drives for four and swipes another one off the edge to third man. This new ball has been like an energy drink for England - 48 runs in five overs with the new nut - while West Indies look like they just want to get through the day.
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Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special
"It's a great approach from Stokes - there's no thought of England batting out the last few overs. If you get the opportunity to score, you give it a whack - try and hurt that second new ball. The field is spread all over the place now."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).
How's stat?!
Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician
"This is Ben Stokes's first hundred partnership in Test cricket - and Ian Bell's 49th. Alastair Cook is the only player with more for England, with 55."
Eng 313-4 (Bell 123*, Stokes 64*)
Stokes keeps going, pushing England's score past 300 with a two and then tucking into Taylor, driving and pulling the Jamaican for three successive fours. At this rate, he'll overtake Bell tomorrow morning if they both stay in... That's the century stand. Five overs left today.
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LJ Messam: Do we have to discuss where Bell is from? We ignored that for KP, Morgan, Trott et al. Let's just agree he's having a great knock.
I think people have made a lot of fuss in the last few years about where England's non-England-born players were from...
Post update
Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special
"For those people who saw Ben Stokes's talent during the last Ashes, it has just been in hibernation for a while. It's had a sabbatical."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).
50 for Stokes
Eng 299-4
This stand is already worth 82 - make that 84, as Roach, who bowled well in the first session but has deteriorated since then, twice oversteps for no-balls. Bell moves to 123 with a single - and Stokes clearly knows how close he is to a half-century as he guides one through the covers, scampers two and keeps scampering until he's run his bat in for a third to bring up his fifty. It's his second highest Test score, only surpassed by that ton in Perth.
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Michael Prag: Re: 21:51. Ian Bell's parents still live in Dunchurch and you see them wandering around the village now and again... The square needs a decent groundsman, mind!
Eng 293-4
Jerome Taylor belatedly returns at the Sir Andy Roberts End - the late Fred Trueman would be chuntering by now about an opening bowler who's only bowled 13 of the first 82 overs, I'm sure back in the day Fred and the other grizzled old pace bowlers would bowl 30-40 overs every day and still have time to jog off for a Woodbine afterwards... Again, like Roach last over, Taylor bowls too short and Stokes gets up on one leg to help a four through square leg, and guide another one through the covers for four more. He has 47 from 58 balls.
Post update
Jonathan Agnew
BBC Test Match Special
"As well as Bell and Root played, West Indies have let themselves down. Their bowling from mid-afternoon onwards has been pretty ordinary."
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Ben Fides: All Test series should be played in the West Indies. Home from work, set for the evening. Love it! #perfecttimezone.
Second new ball taken
Eng 285-4 (Bell 122*, Stokes 39*)
After that one-over delay, it's going to be Kemar Roach with the new cherry - but Aggers hasn't seen much loosening up from the quick bowlers, and it shows as Roach serves up a juicy long-hop which Bell effortlessly pulls for four. How to hand the advantage back to your opponents in one fell swoop... Another short ball is carefully directed through square leg for four by Warwickshire's Coventry-born, Dunchurch-raised, Rugby-claimed, Villa-supporting Ian Ronald Bell.
Scorecard
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Mark Almond: Do you think Ian Bell would be good on Strictly Come Dancing?
New ball available - but not taken
Eng 277-4
Fourth umpire Joel Wilson delivers the new ball, and it looks as though West Indies are going back to Jerome Taylor, but at the last minute it's thrown back to spinner Benn. Bell cuts a single - nine overs left today.
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Geoff Ward from Birmingham: Re 21:42. Having lived in Rugby, Coventry and Dunchurch, I can assure you that your geography is wrong. Dunchurch is south of Rugby and certainly not between Rugby and Coventry. Oh, and Walsgrave Hospital is the major hospital for Coventry and Warwickshire. Belly is a Rugby lad.
Eng 276-4 (Bell 113*, Stokes 39*)
We've reached the 80th over, with Samuels to bowl. Stokes and Bell are happy to take a single off nearly every ball. Time for the quicks?
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Football Fragmento: Left-arm spinner Permaul took 67 wickets in the West Indies four-day competition this year. Why not give him a go?
Eng 272-4
Bell reaches Nelson (111) in the penultimate over with the old ball - ones and twos are easy to come by against Benn, whose work for the day may now be over.
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Mike in Birmingham: Baffles me how Stokes didn't go to the World Cup. He'd have been first on the plane in my eyes. A bowler who can bowl a fair lick, gets wickets and can bat in the top seven is surely an integral part of any one-day side. Faulkner, Anderson, Matthews, Sammy all spring to mind - something England were missing.
Eng 269-4 (Bell 109*, Stokes 36*)
While Geoffrey Boycott on TMS lays into Benn's "buffet" bowling, commenting on how his entire family would be queuing up to face the left-arm spinner, Samuels is quickly through another over, with Stokes looking to cash in before the new ball arrives.
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Tim Williams in Leicester: Re: 21:10. The boy Bell grew up in a village between Rugby and Coventry called Dunchurch. My dad was caretaker at his school.
Dunchurch's sporting heritage includes it being the birthplace of Olympic 400m medallist Katharine Merry.
Post update
Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special
"It's a waiting game. West Indies just want the new ball and England are trying not to do anything silly because sometimes you can try and score quickly, get out and let a new batsman in against the new ball. So it's a little cat and mouse at the moment."
Eng 267-4
We have 14 more overs due today, if West Indies can get them in. Stokes sweeps Benn for four and then goes for the big one, crashing a six into the stand at long-on where a fan in an England cap takes a terrific catch.
Scorecard update
England 255-4 (76 overs)
Batsmen: Bell 108*, Stokes 23*
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Trott 0), 22-2 (Cook 11), 34-3 (Ballance 10), 211-4 (Root 83)
Bowling figures: Taylor 13-2-57-2, Roach 17-4-43-1, Holder 15-6-36-1, Benn 23-4-68-0, Samuels 8-0-40-0
West Indies won toss
Full scorecard
Eng 255-4 (Bell 108*, Stokes 23*)
It's as if this Test has entered a holding pattern for the past few overs, with West Indies rattling through some two-minute overs of spin to get to the new ball, and England not looking to take any risks to ruin what has been an astonishing recovery from 34-3. Bell and Stokes take a single apiece.
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Sir Viv Richards
Ex-West Indies captain on BBC Test Match Special
"It's always deflating for the fielding team when you've won the toss and you're approaching the end of the day in the field. You can see that at present."
Eng 253-4
Benn wheels away for his 23rd over, but Bell's steady progression continues - as Ed Smith noted earlier on TMS, it's been a chanceless innings. Just one from the over.
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Voice From The Stand: Once again, the myth of Ian Bell only scoring hundreds in easy circumstances has been proven to be total rubbish.
Jack of all trades: Well done to Ian Bell on his ton, but we gotta be honest, this is an easy attack, the real test will come in the summer.
Eng 252-4 (Bell 106*, Stokes 22*)
Another reason for sticking with spin might be that this is the 74th over, and the second new ball is available after 80. It won't matter to England - they plunder three singles from Samuels, whose seven overs have cost 38.
How's stat?!
Only Alastair Cook (25) and Kevin Pietersen (23) have scored more than Ian Bell's 22 Test hundreds for England. Wally Hammond (below), Colin Cowdrey and Geoffrey Boycott also have 22.
Post update
Eng 249-4
Given that (as far as I remember) teams get their two reviews replenished after 80 overs, it's no surprise that West Indies have used one for the last ball of the 73rd... He was on the back foot but I think this one might be "umpire's call"... and it is, with the ball possibly clipping the top of the leg bail. Not out.
Umpire review
The twin-spin attack continues as Benn skips in, with a slip and a leg slip in place. Perhaps the over-rate is encouraging the Windies to stick with spin? Stokes is hit on the pad, umpire Bowden shakes his head but West Indies signal for a review...
Eng 248-4 (Bell 103*, Stokes 21*)
A single takes Bell to 103 from 198 balls - the ton came up from 194 deliveries.
Post update
Ed Smith
BBC Test Match Special
"A magnificent knock by Ian Bell. Chanceless, classy and composed. That will have meant a lot to him - there were a few fist pumps there."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).
100 for Ian Bell
Eng 247-4
And it's a century for Bell, who dabs Samuels between the keeper and slip to reach three figures for the 22nd time in Test cricket - and the first time in the first Test of an away series. He raises both arms in celebration, removes his helmet and salutes the England balcony.
Post update
Sir Viv Richards
Ex-West Indies captain on BBC Test Match Special
"I've always felt Bell to be a class act. There aren't many guys who are technically organised the way he is. He has a good array of shots when he's on attack, and he gets his hands through the ball well."
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Daily Mail cricket correspondent Paul Newman: Good luck with those four-day Tests with 105 overs a day Mr Chairman… still got 19 to go here today to reach 90…
Drinks break
Eng 243-4
Benn, West Indies' busiest bowler having sent down 20 of the first 70 overs, begins his 21st, but the watchful Bell - with the field spread - is happy to progress in singles, squeezing one though the covers. With 19 more overs due today, it's time for drinks. Bell has 98 from 192 balls.
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Gary Cooper: My sincere apologies to @joeroot05. Second ball of the day I watch and he's bowled. What was I thinking?
Paul Etherington: Can't believe Stokes batting above Buttler.
Eng 242-4 (Bell 97*, Stokes 21*)
We have spin from both ends for the first time today as off-spinner Marlon Samuels replaces Taylor. Stokes takes a single, is this Bell's time now? Not just yet - he taps a single to long-on to reach 97. Stokes, scoring at a quicker rate than any of his team-mates today, adds a couple more.
Post update
Sir Viv Richards
Ex-West Indies captain on BBC Test Match Special
"There's no problem at all with being nervous in the 90s. There are times when you are playing well and you change your pattern, which makes life more difficult. The best advice is just to continue in the same manner."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).
Eng 238-4
Plenty of Caribbean music between overs - and after the many suggestions of Michael Vaughan on TMS earlier, Sulieman Benn is going to bowl over the wicket to the left-handed Stokes. Another flashing cut shot brings him two, while a single to deep mid-wicket means Bell, on 96 - rather starved of the strike lately - only has one ball to face. He defends.
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Gav, Rugby: Bell is from Rugby, not Coventry, he would be mortified!
He was born in Walsgrave Hospital on the outskirts of Coventry (as stated on his own official website when he received an honorary degree from Coventry University) which is significantly closer to Coventry than Rugby I'm afraid. Naturally, he supports... Aston Villa.
Eng 235-4 (Bell 96*, Stokes 15*)
Another four wide of point from Stokes, England will hope this is Ben Stokes (Version 2013-14) rather than Ben Stokes (Version Summer 2014) at the crease. A single takes him to a rapid 15 from 17 balls.
And a cricket fact I'd not heard before... James Anderson's father is an optician.
How's stat?!
Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician
"Ian Bell has just gone past Wally Hammond. He's now the ninth highest run scorer for England in Tests."
Eng 225-4
Spinner Sulieman Benn has changed ends for the third time today, now he's back at the Sir Andy Roberts End but it's business as usual from Ian Bell - who helps himself to a four through the covers and an easy two to deep mid-wicket to move to 96.
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Oliver J Spencer: Is that first time in a large number of Test innings Stokes hasn't gone for a duck?
He had made three successive ducks before today.
Scorecard update
England 219-4 (66 overs)
Batsmen: Bell 90*, Stokes 6*
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Trott 0), 22-2 (Cook 11), 34-3 (Ballance 10), 211-4 (Root 83)
Bowling figures: Taylor 12-2-47-2, Roach 17-4-43-1, Holder 15-6-36-1, Benn 18-3-57-0, Samuels 4-0-26-0
West Indies won toss
Full scorecard
Eng 219-4
As per the last over, Bell adds a single and the large slip cordon returns for Stokes, but a careful dabbed cut past backward point brings him off the mark with a boundary - ending a run of three successive ducks in his last four Test innings. Taylor tests him with a bouncer, which comes back towards his body and Stokes unconvincingly gloves him to point, before prodding a two back past the bowler.
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Henry H in Bristol: Re: The Knights of the Caribbean (17:31). When will we see 'Sir Brian Lara? He must be due his honours soon.
Who else from the cricketing world would you like to see receive a knighthood?
Eng 212-4 (Bell 89*, Stokes 0*)
Bell is inching towards his 22nd Test century, a single off Roach takes him to 89 - and while that 22 figure is three short of Alastair Cook's record of 25, Bell is close to reaching the top of the England charts for scores of 50 and over - he's now on 64, two short of leader Graham Gooch (66). Stokes is yet to score.
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Dave, Sheffield: Will the football supporters go back to moaning about that national side. We have lost three wickets in the first session and we need to replace the whole team, backroom staff and management. Maybe we need to change the name of the team, the colour of our shirt, spruce up the badge.
Eng 211-4
Ben Stokes, tattoos visible below his short-sleeved shirt, takes guard for the first time in a Test since last July. Ramdin brings in three slips and a gully as Taylor angles the ball across the Durham left-hander, then switches to bowling round the wicket but Stokes sees out the over.
Post update
Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special
"He just dangled his bat outside the off stump. I agree with Graeme Swann that Root changed the course of the innings by bringing energy. He got Ian Bell going and played a real good hand. He'll be disappointed because he was set."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).
WICKET
Root b Taylor 83 (Eng 211-4)
Jerome Taylor returns - and the Windies opening bowler has made the breakthrough as Root tries to angle his bat down to third man but chops onto his stumps. Slamming his bat down as he leaves the field, it shows how he realises he's missed out on a ton here.
Scorecard
Post update
Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special
"That was probably going to hit a second or third stump down the leg side."
Appeal - not out
Eng 210-3
England assistant coach Paul Farbrace is enjoying a cuppa as he leans down to chat to his boss Peter Moores, while also on the England balcony, Ben Stokes may be suffering pad-rash soon, having been next man in for a session and a half. There's a half-hearted appeal for lbw against Root from Roach, but not only does the ball-tracker show the ball missing the wicket, the impact was outside the leg stump. So not a close one.
Tall spin bowlers
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Tim Duffy: Haydn Sully of Northants was 6ft 4in I think!
Mike, Aberdeen: Re: Dallas Moir (18:31) - had an ale with him at weekend - still something of a 'character'. Has a twin brother Jeremy of similar imposing stature... not to be messed with!
Eng 208-3 (Bell 86*, Root 83*)
Big Benn bowls, the Bell tolls as the man from Coventry helps himself to a two and a four which not even the fleet-footed Jermaine Blackwood can cut off. Benn, quickly through his over, has 0-57 from 18. But how will he be rueing that dropped catch just after tea?
Post update
Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special
"England are in a real strong position - it's starting to look very easy for this pair. They've got so much time - options on the front foot, the back foot, the on side, the off side - so it's very hard to set a field for them."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).
Eng 202-3
Roach sends down a ropey wide which keeper Denesh Ramdin takes in front of first slip, while a single takes Bell to 80, stretching this fourth-wicket stand to 168. A fair way to go, though, until they threaten the best fourth-wicket stand for England against the Windies - 411 by Peter May and Colin Cowdrey at Edgbaston in 1957.
Post update
Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special
"It all changed when Joe Root walked to the crease. He looked to be very positive in his footwork, and I think that relaxed Ian Bell at the other end. He didn't allow West Indies just to run up and keep bowling as they had been."
Eng 200-3 (Bell 79*, Root 83*)
It's big, bad Sulieman Benn back on with his left-arm spin. If they picked an International Hard Stare XI, he'd be the spinner. Root swats him in the air towards cow corner, the ball is in the air for a long time but eventually dribbles into the unguarded boundary, which is vigorously signalled by some of the many holidaying England fans looking on. A two brings more applause for the England 200.
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Joe McLusky in Thames Ditton: The England team is a pun-maker's dream! Cook's bad Trott continues, he needs more Balance, needs to Tread well, but at least Bell's taken Root, and Stokes the fire (forgive me). Jordan's Butler, Mr Broad (and Her Son) might have lots to do this year...
Eng 194-3 (59 overs)
Yep, it's Samuels off and Kemar Roach returns, having sent down eight overs with the new ball and then a five-over stint between lunch and tea. With the Antiguan afternoon sun shining, Bell is calling for fresh gloves and even Roach is perspiring as he walks back to his mark. But a three off his legs from Root is England's only scoring shot. We have another 21 overs before the new ball is available.
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Pete Naylor: Ian Bell, when he goes big, can only do it in the most elegant style...
Rik Andrews: At the risk of jinxing it, I can see England pushing on to 450-500 now. Two class acts batting now.
Eng 191-3 (Bell 79*, Root 74*)
I wonder if that might be the last we see of Samuels, who's gone for 26 in four overs - including 13 in that one. Holder, as you'd expect, is tighter, sacrificing one of his slips in favour of a deep square leg, but then fires one down the leg side for a bye. With that blemish not counted against the bowler, it's a maiden - Holder has figures of 15-6-36-1. In rough terms, he's conceded as many runs in 15 overs as he did in about an over and a half when he was getting savaged by AB de Villiers during the World Cup.
Post update
Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special
"It's a very strange decision from the West Indies to open the bowling with Marlon Samuels, but excellent batting from England. They know that if they let Samuels burgle five runs off the first five overs after tea, it just gives the seamers a rest, but they're not allowing that to happen."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).
Six
Eng 190-3
Root, reprieved last over, is served up a loose delivery by Samuels which he picks up from outside off stump and wallops past mid-on for four. I'm sure Sir Viv himself would applaud that one. A well-run three takes him to 74, one ahead of his partner, but the Bell Supremacy is reasserted as he comes down the pitch and smacks Samuels for a straight six.
With another 33 overs left today, this is going to be a fairly long session.
Scorecard
Post update
Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special
"Ian Bell never looked comfortable in the World Cup - looking to up the tempo just doesn't suit his game. But he's made for Test cricket - he's a very compact, technically accomplished player.
"Joe Root has arguably been England's best player for the last 18 months. When he came out to bat, England had been very tentative and defensive, but he immediately looked a different animal, and I think that's helped him and Bell assert some dominance."
Eng 177-3 (Bell 73*, Root 67*)
Bell is skipping around between deliveries as the lanky Jason Holder resumes proceedings at the Sir Curtly Ambrose End. He had left his gloves and helmet to dry out on the outfield during the tea interval, as if underlining his desire to occupy the crease for a long time. A careful cut to third man brings him his 12th four of the day.
Post update
Ed Smith
BBC Test Match Special
"It was an easy catch, a sitter. Hip-high, not hit well, but it went straight through him."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).
Root dropped on 61
Eng 173-3
Geoffrey Boycott spoke earlier about always starting with your two best bowlers after an interval - but West Indies persist with the off-spin of Marlon Samuels, and it almost bears fruit as Root plays a hesitant pull shot and is dropped by Sulieman Benn at mid-wicket, a dolly of a catch at this level as the ball skids through Benn's hands moving to his right. England steal a two, and as if that wasn't enough, Root pulls the last ball for four.
Post update
Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special
"James Tredwell will be licking his lips being able to bowl on this pitch, which should offer him some assistance. I always preferred to see a wicket turn, as knowing I was going to be involved more, I was more focused. If it turns on day one, I always knew what it would be doing by day three or four."
Post update
Thanks, James. As Swanny said, the proverbial game of two halves so far. But while some rushed to condemn Ramdin for opting to field first, some also rushed to condemn England after collapsing to 34-3. The final session may show who (if any) needs any condemnation...
Post update
Right, as we head in to the evening session, time for me to hand you back to Mark Mitchener to take you through to the close...
Post update
Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special
"It's been a day of two halves. The first session was West Indies', but the second belonged completely to Ian Bell and Joe Root, who have wrestled the initiative back to England."
Post update
Did previous West Indies players' experience in county cricket help them?
WICB president Dave Cameron on TMS: "The skills were developed back home, but the professionalism of having to get up every day and practise - even if you'd been up having a beer till 4am - is what we've lacked. We're also in the position now where we can demand fitness standards because they're being paid. In most years - except when we're playing England - the IPL window will be available for players to go there, then we have the Caribbean Premier League in June."
Post update
WICB president Dave Cameron on TMS: "What happened in India was a lack of communication. I believe we'll learn from it - we've got a professional league now and England's Test ranking will be in jeopardy. Can we be number one again? Absolutely. We have six professional teams playing a minimum of 10 first-class games over six to eight months, this is the start of rebuilding the West Indies team."
Post update
Do the current players see themselves more as superstar individuals than a team?
West Indies Cricket Board president Dave Cameron on TMS: "We're living in an age of gadgets - everybody wants instant gratification and to be an instant superstar. We recognise that at the WICB, we have to help them understand that the team is the most important thing. If the team is doing well, they will be megastars."
Tea scorecard
England 167-3 (54 overs)
Batsmen: Bell 69*, Root 61*
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Trott 0), 22-2 (Cook 11), 34-3 (Ballance 10)
Bowling figures: Taylor 10-2-39-1, Roach 13-4-36-1, Holder 13-5-32-1, Benn 16-3-45-0, Samuels 2-0-7-0
West Indies won toss
Full scorecard
Dave Cameron (not that one) speaks
Joe Wilson
BBC News sports correspondent
"The financial cloud hanging over West Indies is this claim against them from India. My understanding is that at the moment, West Indies Cricket Board president Dave Cameron is in Dubai trying to negotiate this - they can't afford the cash but can offer India payment in kind by offering them matches."
You can listen to Joe's chat with WICB board president Dave Cameron on TMS now.
Post update
So, this first Test now looks very different than it did when England trooped off rather disconsolately for lunch. The tourists are now in a strong position thanks to a fine, positive session of stroke-making from Joe Root and Ian Bell, both of whom look in excellent form. Alastair Cook and Peter Moores will be feeling mighty relieved in that dressing-room.
As for West Indies, the discipline they showed in the morning session evaporated in the baking afternoon sunshine, with Sulieman Benn particularly culpable of serving up too many bad balls. Will Denesh Ramdin be thinking back ruefully on his decision to bowl this morning?
Tea interval
Eng 167-3
Ian Bell and Joe Root easily negotiate Jason Holder's final over before tea, and head off for a well-deserved scone. Excellent recovery from those two in a very productive afternoon session.
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Hillel: The ability to worry about the future when your team is performing well is one of the greatest attributes of an English fan.
Post update
Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special
"It's a good pitch, a bit of movement this morning but then the two best players have shown some good intent, playing low-risk cricket shots for good rewards. England should post a good score, and there's a bit of swing and spin to encourage their bowlers."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).
Eng 164-3 (Bell 69*, Root 58*)
Samuels continues, with his characteristic waddling, two-step run-up. There's a brief flurry of excitement when Ian Bell just about scampers back into his crease before Denesh Ramdin whips off the bails after a throw from the outfield - that's pretty much as close as West Indies have come in this chastening, chanceless session.
Post update
Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special
"At 30-3, West Indies' decision to bowl first must have looked like the right one, but England are building a platform to bat long - when you bowl first, you should bowl the opposition out, if not on the first day, then early on the second. They should be in for bed and breakfast now."
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Marko Koning: Wooo like the Ashes 2013. England losing three quick wickets and Ian Bell rebuilding. Should be an England win!
jack william redfern: KP and Cook to open like they used to in the ODIs, would allow our middle order to stay the same.
Eng 160-3 (partnership 126)
The umpires eventually call a halt to that rather bizarre interlude, and play resumes, with Jason Holder continuing with the ball. Root allays any fears about his back with a lovely languid pull shot through mid-wicket for four. These two are looking entirely untroubled and putting England in a really good position.
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Tattz in Oldbury: Root & Bell will be the highest scorers in the England side this year by some margin. Both play pace well, with shots played all around the wicket. If we are going to put up any fight against NZ & the Aussies, these two will need to bat so well. Well, we can hardly rely on our openers!
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Jay: Was this some kind of a statistics-driven therapy that Root just underwent?
Ouch!
Joe Root has called for some treatment - it looks like he's got some sort of problem with his back. The England physio delivers a rather uncomfortable looking massage - kneeling down and applying his full weight to the prostrate Root with both hands, like a man trying to squash one last pair of swimming trunks into an over-stuffed suitcase.
Eng 154-3 (Bell 64*, Root 54*)
Marlon Samuels is summoned to deliver a bit of part-time off-spin. England creep further into the ascendancy with three stolen singles.
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Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician
"Root has passed 50 in seven of his last eight Tests."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).
Post update
Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special
"That's the best shot of the day. On-drives always look pleasing, but he's in tremendous form."
50 for Root
Eng 151-3
Holder, whose dismissal of Gary Ballance suddenly seems an awful long time ago, continues. After 14 consecutive dot balls, he finally drags one down and Joe Root manages to evade Blackwood with a powerful cut through point. Root then goes to 50 with a gorgeous straight drive to the mid-on boundary. England making hay here.
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Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special
"You have to make sure you don't offer too many freebies - the West Indies bowlers have been too short and wide at times. I'm surprised Benn hasn't come over the wicket to try something different."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).
Join the debate at #bbccricket
Antony Stewart: No surprise that the only two cricketers who have not had their confidence savaged by the media are the ones leading this recovery.
Peter: Not sure the four-day game is prioritised in this country. Only half the matches take place in Jun-Aug, the "summer months".
Eng 141-3 (Bell 62*, Root 43*)
Our first look at the jet heels of Jermaine Blackwood, a man so fast he practically leaves contrails in the outfield. He keeps the England batsmen to two when Joe Root knocks the ball behind point. Three from Benn's latest over.
Eng 138-3
Holder, who impressed many with his performances as captain of the Windies ODI side at the recent World Cup, continues to offer West Indies if not threat, at least a measure of control. He whizzes a couple of deliveries past Ian Bell's leave to conclude another good maiden over.
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Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special
"Geoffrey's been in a bit of a grump today - he was sending half the backroom staff home after nine overs! England have come out with a different mindset after lunch, looking to score. These two are their best players at the moment. You've just got to be careful of hitting the ball too square as it's so slow."
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Michael Blighe: Most teams suffer from mid-order collapse. England seem to suffer from top-order collapse. And it's getting embarrassing.
Richard Jebb: Is it not worth trying a bowler as captain given the struggles with form at the top of the order in recent years?
Eng 138-3 (Bell 61*, Root 40*)
Benn continues - can he build a little bit of scoreboard pressure after that good last over from Holder? Nope - he drifts leg-sidish and Root nails a sweep to the leg-side fence. Hands on hips, teeth clenched, eyes skyward from Benn, who wouldn't exactly be the most inscrutable of opponents across the poker table.
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Simon Langley-Evans: Has everyone who is slagging off the England team forgotten that they were put into bat this morning?
Robert Hart: I think Graves needs to look at increasing the number of days in a Test match with a top three of Trott, Cook and Ballance!
Incoming ECB chairman Colin Graves recently suggested Tests could be shortened to four days to improve attendances.
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Tony Cozier
BBC Test Match Special
"The West Indies media manager Philip Spooner thinks Ian Bell is the best leaver of a ball since Desmond Haynes."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).
Eng 134-3
As we speculated, the young quick Jason Holder is introduced to stop the rot. And he does exactly what his captain would have wanted, producing six accurate deliveries to claim a maiden and briefly slow the Ian Bell onslaught.
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Ian Roberts: Cook is too scared and tactically inept to play and captain Rashid. Negative batsman = negative captain. Rashid was the best spinner by far in 2014 on green seaming county pitches.
Jack Elliot: Why is Cook a guaranteed opener for England, when he hasn't scored a Test century in nearly two years?
Patch Thompson: Bell looking good. Baby faced assassin of the England squad.
Eng 134-3 (Bell 62*, Root 36*)
He bowled well before lunch but Sulieman Benn has wilted after the interval. He continues to serve up bad deliveries at regular intervals, frustrating West Indies' attempts to build any sort of pressure. This time it's looped up wide of leg stump and Joe Root ushers it past Denesh Ramdin to the boundary. It's given as four byes.
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Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special
"Roach is nothing like the pace he was a couple of years ago when he hit Jonny Bairstow on the head in England. He's bowling like Stuart Broad did in the World Cup - it'll be interesting to see what Stuart has, as it's difficult to come back from injury and bowl at your fastest. Whenever you're slightly off-line, they'll hit you."
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Remembering Richie
Richard Clarkson: A fantasy team of Richards (and derivatives of with significant licence!) for the great late Richie Benaud to captain. Surely no other name team would compete! Barry Richards, Ricky Ponting, Sir Vivian Richards, John Edrich, Sir Richie Richardson, Dave Richardson (wk), Sir Richard Hadlee, Dick Motz, Richie Benaud (capt), Andrew Caddick, Richard Illingworth. Dickie Bird umpiring of course!
Eng 130-3
Bell is on fire here, making very serviceable deliveries look like rank bad balls. Roach drops just a fraction short and Bell is on it in a flash, swivelling on to back foot and hoicking him through mid-wicket for another four. Problems for the West Indies - surely it can't be long before they turn to Jason Holder?
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Ed Smith
BBC Test Match Special
"Taller bowlers, if it's not going for them, at least they can try to keep it tight. I think that's how Benn tries to get wickets - get people hanging on the back foot and then bowl a quicker ball."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).
Eng 125-3 (Bell 58*, Root 36*)
Sulieman Benn looks to be all out of wicket-taking ideas here, but he does manage to keep it relatively tight off his latest over, coughing up just two runs.
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Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special
"Somebody hard to hit on a pitch like this would be Glenn McGrath as he bowled line and length and was awkward to get forward to on slow surfaces."
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Ollie Bartlett: Is it any surprise the top three failed considering the amount of international cricket they've played since last summer. Bell and Root on the other hand...
Eng 123-3
The punishment continues for the West Indies as Roach strays on to Bell's pads and the batsman strokes him through the leg side for another four. And he gets the treatment again, short and wide and Bell flays him into the off side for two. England, who practically required the defibrillators after a moribund morning session, are suddenly up and about and roaming the hospital corridors.
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Jacksandfives: Cook should not be captain. He's not proactive enough. He should be left to bat and score runs. Why do the selectors insist on giving the captaincy to an opening batsman? Recent history shows that form always suffers.
How's stat?!
Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician
"Bell's fifty is only the third time in his last 17 first innings of away Test matches that he's passed 50."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).
50 for Bell
Eng 117-3 (Bell 52*, Root 34*)
Sulieman Benn serves up an absolute gift first ball after drinks, slow and short, and Bell rocks on to the back foot and swats it through mid-wicket to bring up his half-century. He's looked in excellent touch. Runs continuing to flow for England.
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Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special
"What a lovely thought that I could be batting against someone like you on a pitch like this, Jonathan. It's flat. The movement is minimal. England played some poor shots, there's a bit of rustiness as they've not had serious practice. Those two two-day games were farcical. Do you think people would practise like that before trying to win at Wimbledon or the Masters?"
Drinks break
Eng 112-3
Roach runs in again, chunky chain jangling around his equally chunky neck. Root mistimes a pull through mid-wicket but picks up two for it, and England safely negotiate their way through to drinks after a very handy recovery from Root and Bell in the first hour after lunch.
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Tall spin bowlers
Geoff, Nottingham (and others): Re: Dallas Moir (18:31) - did you know it's his 58th birthday today?
Simon Walker: Re: tall spin bowlers. My 6ft 4ins great-grandfather Frank Whiting set several Minor Counties records, including a 10-for, playing for Cornwall in the 1920s.
Alex, London: Tony Greig bowled the Windies out with off-spinners in 1973. Must be at least 6ft 6ins.
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Jonathan Agnew
BBC Test Match Special
"I've never got over Andy Roberts, one of the most lethal and destructive fast bowlers ever, producing those featherbed Antigua pitches where Brian Lara scored 375 and 400. Fast bowlers were terrified of bowling at Andy - Sylvester Clarke of Surrey roared through us once at The Oval, with two absolute cowards left to bat in me and Gordon Parsons. But when Andy batted, Clarke bowled him half-volleys and we won the game."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).
Eng 110-3 (Bell 47*, Root 32*)
Benn hasn't really been able to perform the holding role that his captain would have wanted so far this afternoon. He produces a better over here though, conceding just a couple of singles.
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Ash Parkar: Listening to Tony Cozier and Sir Viv makes sitting in traffic absolutely worth it.
Mark Savile: Great coming back from work with two sessions of cricket to be played. #SummerIsComing
Eng 108-3 (Roach 10-4-23-1)
Tough work for the West Indies fielders as they continue to chase leather in the afternoon sun. Bell brings up the England 100 with a flashing square drive that screams away to the boundary at point. And Root piles on the pain, albeit with a touch of good fortune, top-edging a lifting Roach delivery over the slips for another boundary.
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Jonathan Agnew
BBC Test Match Special
"We were talking earlier about how India's board might sue West Indies over that abandoned tour. There's such a unique atmosphere about cricket wherever it's played around the world. It would be an utter tragedy if the West Indian way was somehow lost."
Eng 99-3 (Bell 40*, Root 28*)
A change of ends for Sulieman Benn, who looks as though he might be asked to get through a fair bit of work this afternoon. It's a better over from the giant left-armer until a loose final delivery, which is pulled through mid-wicket for two.
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Jonathan Agnew
BBC Test Match Special
"I've just been rebuked by Tony Cozier. He thought I was trying to wind him up as we were talking about tall left-arm spinners - Sulieman Benn's 6ft 7ins - how about the Maltese-born 1980s Scotland and Derbyshire player, Dallas Moir? He was a great character."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).
Scorecard update
England 95-3 (36 overs)
Batsmen: Bell 40*, Root 26*
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Trott 0), 22-2 (Cook 11), 34-3 (Ballance 10)
Bowling figures: Taylor 10-2-39-1, Roach 9-4-14-1, Holder 8-3-13-1, Benn 9-2-27-0
West Indies won toss
Full scorecard
Eng 95-3
Denesh Ramdin shuffles his pack for the first time in this afternoon session, bringing Kemar Roach into the attack. White smoke drifts across the field from the direction of the barbecue stand, while Ian Bell continues to subject the West Indian bowlers to a grilling - flicking Roach off his pads down to the fine-leg boundary.
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Tony Cozier
BBC Test Match Special
"You wouldn't say it's been bad bowling, but it's been good batting since lunch - you'd expect it from these two."
Join the debate at #bbccricket
Sam Stride: So good to see Test cricket again, the purest form of the game, forever and always.
Andy Donley: Roach, Taylor and Holder are a good unit, losing wickets against them with the new ball is no disgrace, judge England on Friday.
Eng 89-3 (Bell 36*, Root 25*)
West Indies could do with a quick wicket here if they are not to undo all the good work of the morning session. But Jerome Taylor continues to find the going tough in the afternoon sun against this classy England duo, as Ian Bell punishes him with a gorgeous late cut that brings another four wide of the slips.
Remembering Richie
The Test Match Special tribute to Richie Benaud from today's lunch interval is now available to listen to again via the TMS podcast page.
Eng 85-3
Sulieman Benn has not looked at all threatening so far: a giant, docile house-cat in counterpoint to Jerome Taylor's menacing, muscular panther at the other end. Another innocuous over allows England to keep the scoreboard ticking, with Bell paddling the ball over his shoulder for two to bring up the 50 partnership between these two.
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Sir Viv Richards
Ex-West Indies captain on BBC Test Match Special
"Here's a situation where West Indies will need to concentrate as in the past, they would have made early inroads many times but the [opposition's] middle order has got them out of trouble."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).
Eng 81-3 (Bell 29*, Root 24*)
A moment of good fortune for Bell, who edges a Taylor outswinger through the vacant third slip region for four. That ran away like a rivulet of ice-cream on a hot tarmac road. Bell, who looks in good touch, collects four more with a characteristically peachy cover drive from a slightly overpitched delivery, and suddenly England are motoring.
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Henry in Bristol: KP hasn't come out at number four for Surrey. Fingers crossed he's on his way to Antigua.
Kenny from Glasgow (originally Belfast): Seriously, how bad are this England team? I wish the ICC would hurry up and give us Test status (Ireland) so we can join the international party at pumping them!
Eng 73-3
Benn continues. Root, who has looked very good off the back foot, dabs a late cut behind square for a single, before Bell forces backward point into action with a more forceful cut, which brings him one.
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Joshua Edwards: Anyone considered the revolutionary idea that England just don't have the calibre or quality and it's really no one's fault?
David Simpson: If Bell and Root stick around and accelerate, put together a 150-run partnership, all will be forgotten. Sadly will precede collapse.
Eng 71-3 (Bell 20*, Root 23*)
Taylor keeps it tight against Bell for a maiden over. The skies look clear after that tiniest of rain interruptions we had earlier.
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Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special
"I didn't play in the abandoned Test here in 2009 - Monty Panesar did - but I was picked for the replacement fixture at the Recreation Ground after I got Andrew Strauss out three or four times in practice. Always bowl well to the captain in the nets."
Eng 71-3
The discipline that characterised the West Indies' effort before lunch has just slackened here - Benn dishes up an airy full toss off the first ball of his over, and Root lances the infield with a surgical sweep shot for another boundary. And the young Yorkshire tyro finds the rope again, larruping a cut shot behind square from another poor delivery. Eighteen runs off the last three overs for England, who are beginning to perk up in the afternoon sun.
Eng 63-3 (Bell 20*, Root 15*)
England's run rate has just nudged above two for the first time in a while - the ailing patient is just beginning to show the faintest of pulses again. Bell continues the resuscitation of the England innings with a disdainful pull behind square from a poor short ball by Taylor.
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Peter Rawley, Puerto Rico: When Downton left the whole lot should have left - selectors, managers, coaches. They are utterly useless and Cook is their representative on the field, poor devil.
Eng 57-3
Root, who has looked the busiest of England's batsmen so far, gets his first runs after lunch with a delightful late cut that teases the diving fielder at slip and brings two runs. He adds a couple more with a push into the covers.
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Mandip Bhogal in Surrey: Poor session from England. Ah well, that's the way the Cooky crumbles....
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Ed Smith
BBC Test Match Special
"I'd want my runs in the first innings here. I think it's going to turn later on."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).
Eng 53-3 (Bell 14*, Root 11*)
Jerome Taylor will open up after lunch from the other end. Ian Bell brings up the first runs of the afternoon sessions with the finest of glances of his hips, which trundles down to the boundary for four. The ball after, he is struck on the pads by a full away-swinger from Taylor, but there's no alarm as the batsman got an inside edge on it.
Eng 49-3
A lazy, languid restart to proceedings. Sulieman Benn, with his long, loping delivery stride, sends down six gentle tweakers which Joe Root bats away with minimal concern, like a sunbather wafting away flies. A maiden.
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Thanks Mitch. Sulieman Benn is going to send down some spin in what should be a gentle introduction to the afternoon session for Joe Root and Ian Bell...
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After those touching tributes to Richie Benaud on TMS, the umpires are out and it's time to begin the second session from Antigua - so over to James Gheerbrant to talk you through it.
Remembering Richie
Tony Cozier
BBC Test Match Special
"You hear a lot of nationalistic commentators know, but Richie was very fair and always impartial. Garry Sobers told me how you always knew if it came from Richie, it was gospel. But he was always reticent about talking about himself, as it was always about the game."
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Ade: As an England fan, I've put up with some terrible things over the last few years. Yet as bad as we were in the last Ashes, at the start of last summer, and all through this winter, I'm not sure anything that's happened has annoyed me as much as when I got in from work today and saw the England team. Have we learned nothing? After weeks of talk about being old-fashioned and behind the game (admittedly in ODIs), the brave new era starts with Trott over Lyth and Tredwell over Rashid. The conservatism of the management in English cricket is astonishing. And the minority that text and tweet in support of them and their selections are part of the problem.
Remembering Richie
Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special
"When you asked him for advice, he was very helpful. But apart from that, he always kept himself to himself. He would get there early, find a little corner where he could see the cricket, and he'd be on his computer writing or gambling, as he loved the horses. But he never missed a trick - he would only help you if you asked him."
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James in London: Nice touch by England today as part of the Remembering Richie feature. Managed to engineer the fall of wickets to chwenty chew for chew.
Remembering Richie
Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special
"I went to Australia in 1965-66, Richie had finished as a player by then but was picked to play for the Prime Minister's XI and Canberra. He bowled me a couple which I pulled over mid-wicket, then a quicker top-spinner which hit me plumb in front, I got the benefit of the doubt and he just looked at me and glared. He was much more cavalier as a player than a commentator."
Remembering Richie
Tony Cozier
BBC Test Match Special
"You'd learn a lot from Richie. I got to know himself and his wife Daphne through a Trinidadian who had lived in Australia for many years. When he last came to Barbados, I organised a lunch for the surviving West Indians from the 60-61 series, such as Sir Garry Sobers and Sir Everton Weekes. Richie said he didn't want any publicity, but he fell in the shower and damaged his ribs, so I had to cancel the dinner. Daphne heard about this, and said Richie would come whatever happens - so I had to rebook the restaurant."
Listen to TMS's Richie Benaud tribute via the audio icon (available in UK only).
Join the debate at #bbccricket
Charlie Franklin: Would love to see James Vince given a run in the side. Definitely deserves a call-up.
Tommy C: Too many players included in this England squad picked on sentiment that are simply not good enough at the moment.
The Knights of the Caribbean
In case you were wondering, last year's triple knighting ceremony for Andy Roberts, Curtly Ambrose and Richie Richardson at this stadium means the Windies can boast a full XI of cricketing knights.
In alphabetical (rather than batting) order, they are: Sir Curtly Ambrose (Antigua), Sir Learie Constantine, later Lord Constantine (Trinidad), Reverend Sir Wes Hall (Barbados), Sir Conrad Hunte (Barbados), Sir Viv Richards (Antigua), Sir Richie Richardson (Antigua), Sir Andy Roberts (Antigua), Sir Garfield Sobers (Barbados), Sir Clyde Walcott (Barbados), Sir Everton Weekes (Barbados), and Sir Frank Worrell (Barbados).
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David Hill: Obviously congratulations to West Indies for bowling well but oh dear, how far can England fall? From all the reports the batting lacks complete confidence, but given that Cook, Ballance and Trott are all struggling it is perhaps little wonder they are three down and that must put enormous pressure on those following. It just seems to me that if Peter Moores had read the data then he would have known that this was the likely outcome.
Remembering Richie
Impressionist Rory Bremner: "I found a lovely quote from Richie which said 'Captaincy is 90% luck and 10% skill - but don't try it without that 10%'."
Listen to TMS's Richie Benaud tribute via the audio icon (available in UK only).
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Ruairi, Putney: 49 runs in a whole session, how slow and dull. Cook, Trott and Ballance combined clearly does not have the necessary firepower. We need to look to other countries where shorter form of the game batsmen are being moulded into the Test game for explosive starts. Why not work on the likes of Hales or Morgan?
Remembering Richie
When was the first time you were aware of impersonators taking you off?
The late Richie Benaud, speaking in 2005: "I like satire, that's why I like Rory Bremner. For a long while I didn't meet Billy Birmingham, the 'Twelfth Man', which built up something of an aura about it. What I do object to is someone using my voice or image to sell anything - there are a few of them around, which is dishonest. Quite a few of them [impersonators] shouldn't give up their day jobs."
Listen to TMS's Richie Benaud tribute via the audio icon (available in UK only).
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Jon in London: All very well saying back your captain, but the long and the short of it is that being an aggressive player/captain/team is the norm these days, and not the exception. Cookie just hasn't moved on... neither have England.
Remembering Richie
What would you have made of modern coaching, with everything on a laptop?
The late Richie Benaud, speaking in 2005: "I can't see why I would have wanted them in my dressing room. I got my coaching from Miller, Morris, and Lindwall. Why should I want to talk to a laptop?"
Listen to TMS's Richie Benaud tribute via the audio icon (available in UK only).
Join the debate at #bbccricket
Chris Doughty: England look and feel like they're batting in straitjackets.
Leo Watson: Moores and Cook might blame fatigue or KP-related distractions, but the facts are they are making simple errors of judgement.
Remembering Richie
The late Richie Benaud, speaking in 2005: "The funniest moment on commentary? Close to it would be Rodney Marsh tackling a streaker at Edgbaston, when I said it was the only catch he'd made all day."
Listen to TMS's Richie Benaud tribute via the audio icon (available in UK only).
Join the debate at #bbccricket
Andy: I am starting the 'Bring back Collingwood' campaign to save English cricket! A five-for and a century, a man in form.
Peter MacDiarmid: Not sure 49-3 is the way to put all talk of the return of KP to bed. At least he's not been in the runs this week...
Remembering Richie
The tributes to Richie Benaud begin with an archive interview from 2005, his last Test series as a commentator in England.
You can read more from Jonathan Agnew, with a personal tribute, on the BBC Sport website.
Scorecard update
England 49-3 (25 overs) - lunch
Batsmen: Bell 10*, Root 11*
Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Trott 0), 22-2 (Cook 11), 34-3 (Ballance 10)
Bowling figures: Taylor 5-1-17-1, Roach 8-4-8-1, Holder 8-3-13-1, Benn 4-1-9-0
West Indies won toss
Full scorecard
Where's Moeen?
Among the county hopefuls, by the way, is England's Moeen Ali, who was not fit enough to join the start of the tour after he was injured during the World Cup.
He's playing for Worcestershire against Yorkshire, and so far has scored 62 and bowled three overs at the cost of eight runs.
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Richard McConnell in Glasgow: Re: Ian Haffey in Barcelona (see 16:55): I totally agree with Ian, we should drop Broad, Trott, and Cook. I mean, what have they ever won?... oh.
Or, we could actually give them a chance, instead of writing off the whole series based on one ropey morning of Test cricket. My word, do you think successful teams gain success by making wholesale changes? The Aussies achieved it through a change of management and by backing their captain.
Live now
BBC Radio Test Match Special
So, an unhappy return to Test cricket for Jonathan Trott in his 50th Test -Test Match Specialare going to check in with Kevin Howells for the county scores, but after that, they will be paying tribute to the late Richie Benaud.
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Jonathan Agnew
BBC Test Match Special
"The West Indies' bowling has been excellent, but despite it being a completely different format, England have been the same as they were as the World Cup. There's been a lack of initiative, a fear of failure."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).
Post update
A chastened England leave the field. While questions were asked about West Indies' decision to field first, some impressively tight bowling has kept their foot on the England jugular for most of the time.
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Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special
"The West Indies have been excellent. England had the worst possible start, and it's now 33 innings since Alastair Cook's last Test hundred, which is a real concern. It's been a timid start to the series from England, and one of these two batsmen has to go on and get a big score."
Lunch interval
Eng 49-3 (25 overs)
Time for one more over before lunch. Holder tosses the ball from hand to hand, more in the manner of a spinner than a pace bowler, before testing Bell with a probing line outside off stump. Bell - named as vice-captain for this tour - briefly consults with umpire Steve Davis when it looks like he has something in his eye, but sees off a maiden. Time for lunch.
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Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special
"West Indies have certainly played on England's lack of confidence, but I don't think they've just lobbed it up and bowled negatively. But I still think batting first is the best option - it's certainly going to start spinning."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).
Eng 49-3 (Bell 10*, Root 11*)
Root joins Bell in double figures with a couple of twos down towards third man.
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Ian Haffey in Barcelona: Those calling for a large or small-scale clean out have failed to mention one of the oustanding forces for conservatism and avoidance of risk within English cricket: Alastair Cook. Certainly not in the team these days for his batting and far, far away from a tactical genius as captain, why is he there? He is a towering remnant of the old guard and will always want teams with the composition of today's. You can be sure that, whatever their performance may be and, barring injury, Broad and Trott will play all three Tests.
Eng 45-3
Ian Bell becomes the third man into double figures today as he chops Holder for a single - England will rely on him to go further than Cook (11) and Ballance (10) who both stalled after reaching that mark. Root manages to nick the strike with a leg bye off the last ball.
Eng 43-3 (Bell 9*, Root 7*)
The bearded Benn is swept for a single by Bell - there are a couple of umbrellas still up at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, but in sunshade rather than rain-protection mode. Root cuts a two, the outfield is a little slow, while not for the first time today, play is held up as someone had wandered in front of the sightscreen. Twelfth man Jonny Bairstow brings on a fresh pair of gloves at the end of the over.
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Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special
"Joe Root has come out and he's looking to score. He's waiting for anything short he can latch on to with the pull shot or the cut shot, but this infield is very hard to pierce."
Eng 40-3 (Holder 6-2-12-1)
Holder has three slips in for Root, with Big Benn stationed at gully, while the subject of Aggers' new hat is causing a little mirth on TMS, with Michael Vaughan labelling it as "a ladies' hat". Root stands tall - as tall as he can manage against the two giants currently doing the bowling for West Indies - and sees off a maiden over.
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Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special
"There's a hint of spin there, but Benn's main role is to bowl maidens and build the dots. West Indies will continue to attack with Roach and Taylor."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon.
Eng 40-3
A maiden over from Benn does nothing to the score - his role for now is containment (while boosting a rather ordinary over-rate).
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Tony Cozier
BBC Test Match Special
"The discipline of the West Indies bowlers has been impressive today - not something you could usually say over the last 15 years or so."
Eng 40-3 (Bell 8*, Root 5*)
It's still Jason Holder charging in from the Sir Andy Roberts End. Root cuts him for four, only the third boundary off the bat we've seen today.
The sun is back out, presumably Sir Viv has had a word with the appropriate authorities for daring to rain on his stadium.
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Guy in Shropshire: England's only justification for such a poor World Cup performance was that we as a nation prioritise the longer format of the game. Now we've collapsed against one of the weakest Test sides in the world... Turmoil.
Cliff in Tamworth: This is simply not good enough. No foot work, no technique, no idea! Making West Indies attack look like Australians, my word it is going to be a long depressing summer having to watch us being put to the sword.
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Sir Viv Richards
Ex-West Indies captain on BBC Test Match Special
"From what little I've seen of Root so far, he looks a magnificent player."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon.
Eng 36-3
Kemar Roach can hold his head high with figures of 8-4-8-1 - but he takes a rest for the first time as West Indies turn to the towering Sulieman Benn, who must be the tallest left-arm spinner ever to play Test cricket, unless any of you can remember any others?
Big Benn bowls to (not-so-big) Bell - with a slip and a short leg in, the England fourth-wicket pair add one gentle single apiece.
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Tony Cozier
BBC Test Match Special
"You see Joe Root in the flesh and you wonder: 'Has he passed his A-levels yet?'"
Eng 34-3 (Bell 7*, Root 0*)
Holder has one ball of his over left - it's defended by Joe Root.
For those of you who may be just joining us, England lost Jonathan Trott in the first over, and have since lost Alastair Cook for 11 and Gary Ballance for 10. We have just under half-an-hour until lunch.
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The on-field umpires confer with fourth umpire Joel Wilson - not to be confused with BBC sports news correspondent Joe Wilson - and the players are back on. Less than 10 minutes lost - let's play.
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Home Alone Phil: England are playing village cricket at the moment.
Antony Stewart: Great bowling from the Windies so far. Bell & Root will have to bail England out again, when the liquid sunshine stops falling.
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Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special
"England have looked very timid. Their footwork and their mindset has been about looking to survive rather than getting on top of the West Indies. All the West Indies bowlers have done is dangle the carrot."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon.
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The rain is something of a Twenty20 shower - as no sooner are the covers draped over the square, the rain stops and they're dragged off. We should be starting again very soon.
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Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician
"Gary Ballance was out for 10, which is the same score he made in his first three World Cup innings. He faced 46 balls, but didn't score off the last 21."
Rain stops play
Eng 34-3 (16.5 overs)
And no sooner has next man Joe Root walked onto the field, the umpires bring the players off for rain.
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Jonathan Agnew
BBC Test Match Special
"That was a poor shot by Ballance. It was wide of the off stump and he really had to stretch for it."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon.
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Sir Viv Richards
Ex-West Indies captain on BBC Test Match Special
"It wasn't the best delivery by Holder but Ballance drove with his feet not in position to do so."
WICKET
Ballance c Bravo b Holder 10 (Eng 34-3)
It had been coming for a while - after an innings in which he was uncertain outside off stump, Ballance prods at Holder and is caught at slip.
Rain in the air, the ground staff were hustling towards the covers while Bell pushed a three through mid-wicket earlier in the over.
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Sir Viv Richards
Ex-West Indies captain on BBC Test Match Special
"I've spent some time with Kevin Pietersen and I found him to be a highly confident individual. He's 35 this summer, but you can still bat - Kumar Sangakkara is the perfect example."
Eng 31-2 (Roach 8-4-8-1)
More pressure from Roach as he goes round the wicket and whistles one just past Ballance's back-foot defensive shot. Great spell from the right-armer from Barbados, how long can he keep going?
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Tom Colocci: Apart from the fact that Trott isn't an opener, the reason they needed to pick Lyth was to show county cricket is still relevant. If a player averages 70 in a season and gets overlooked in favour of a number three, why should we bother watching county cricket if the selectors don't?
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Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician
"Ian Bell took 20 balls to get off the mark, equalling his record for his slowest start to a Test innings."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon.
Eng 31-2
The towering Holder is keeping it nice and tight for the Windies, but after starting his innings with 19 dot balls, a streaky drive just past point for four gets Ian Bell off the mark. We've had 15 overs in an hour and a quarter, hopefully some spin later might help the over-rate.
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Sir Viv Richards
Ex-West Indies captain on BBC Test Match Special
"It's been said for some time now that there are some promising individuals in the West Indies side, but we need a proper framework to help these kids. We have got to give [new coach] Phil Simmons the tools to get the job done."
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Gary Blacker in Wirral: Going to have to agree with Geoffrey, but only to a point. Sending home half the back room staff is only half a job... he should send the lot home and make a space for Peter Moores as well. We could have made huge changes after the World Cup, instead we fluffed it again. Sorry to say it, but the future isn't looking any brighter in my opinion.
Eng 27-2 (Roach 7-3-8-1)
Play resumes with Roach beginning his seventh over, Ballance's footwork isn't entirely convincing and he plays and misses with a tentative prod. Another maiden.
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Sir Viv Richards
Ex-West Indies captain on BBC Test Match Special
"It's a splendid day for the game here at the Vivian Richards Stadium. The only compliments that West Indies can be paid are that after winning the toss they have got two early wickets, but I don't see any devil in the wicket."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon.
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And not only does this ground have both ends named after cricketing knights, it must also be the only ground in the world where the TMS summarisers' ranks include the man after whom the stadium is named - welcome Sir Viv Richards.
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Ed Smith
BBC Test Match Special
"Jonathan Trott didn't use the word 'depression' [when he left the Ashes tour], and neither did the England medical staff, and there was a lot of debate on very little information. So when the truth emerged, which was closer to burn-out, I think there was a little bit of rowing back and confusion."
Drinks break
Eng 27-2
Plenty of England fans in the stands - probably outnumbering the locals, which they'll certainly do by the time of the Barbados Test. Bell tries a pull shot but just cracks it down into the pitch and there's no run. A maiden means it's two runs from four overs - proper Test cricket, if you like - and the players have earned some drinks.
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Ed Smith
BBC Test Match Special
"The plan from Roach seems to be to push the ball across Gary Ballance towards the slips and make him play."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon.
Eng 27-2 (Ballance 10*, Bell 0*)
Roach is still dangling the carrot across Ballance's off stump from over the wicket, but the left-hander is happy to leave anything too wide. Another maiden - Roach has a none-too-shabby 1-8 from six overs.
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Alex Reilly: Test cricket is back, baby! Yes!
Rizwan Patel: Pleasure to listen to Tony Cozier once again!
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Ed Smith
BBC Test Match Special
"Holder is getting good carry, which you would expect at 6ft 7ins. If anything the ball is just swinging away a little bit."
Eng 27-2
West Indies make their first bowling change as Jason Holder is on at the Sir Andy Roberts End. Freed from the burden of captaincy he shoulders in the one-day side (with Denesh Ramdin continuing as Test captain), young Bajan right-armer Holder is only playing his fourth Test. Ballance adds a single, Bell - sporting some new padding on the back of his helmet (following the manufacturer's redesign after the death of Phillip Hughes) - is yet to score.
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Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special
"I think it's a safe side that England have picked. They've gone back to Jonathan Trott and James Tredwell, who have played before, they've picked three seamers who are all around the same pace. They could have picked a bowler like Liam Plunkett with extra pace, or the leg-spinner in Adil Rashid. You're never going to find anything out about these players by bowling them in the nets."
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Eng 26-2 (Ballance 9*, Bell 0*)
Geoffrey is really coming off the long run here on TMS, calling for new ECB chief executive Tom Harrison to "send half the backroom staff home, now", while calling for Liam Plunkett and Adil Rashid to have been picked - in contrast, it's still a sedate approach from England as Ballance and Bell look to see off the opening bowlers. We've reached the 10-over mark.
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Tony Cozier
BBC Test Match Special
"Look out for Jermaine Blackwood chasing after the ball in the outfield. He's from Jamaica and he really does have Usain Bolt pace."
Eng 25-2
As you might have imagined (probably even before those two wickets fell), Geoffrey Boycott isn't happy that Yorkshire opener Adam Lyth is carrying the drinks today. He's purring as Gary Ballance helps himself to an easy two off his legs, but he's chuntering again about the "farcical" warm-up game in St Kitts. Meanwhile, new batsman Ian Bell takes guard for the first time.
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Jon Dunn: That hasn't swung or seemed. It was just full and straight. And missed. Shocking dismissal.
Ben Sawyer: At 22-2 I think that might be one tribute to Richie too far from the England team.
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Tony Cozier
BBC Test Match Special
"It was a beauty from Roach, who hadn't really threatened before that. Cook seemed to have everything covered but the ball just snuck between bat and pad."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon.
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Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special
"It was perfect line, perfect length, if anything it just fractionally offered to come back into him, but the shot was late and Cook left a gap between bat and pad."
WICKET
Cook b Roach 11 (Eng 22-2)
And just as he looked back in "the zone" knocking Roach for that four, Cook leaves a yawning chasm between bat and pad, and loses his off bail. Those who scoffed at West Indies' decision to field first aren't scoffing now.
And in a possible tribute to the late Richie Benaud, England are (all together now) 22 for 2. Marvellous.
Scorecard
Eng 22-1
Shot of the day so far from Alastair Cook, as one from Roach sits up just right for the skipper to glide it through the covers for four.
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Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special
"Opening batsmen are supposed to face the new ball when it's doing a little bit. The movement is so fractional that if you can't play that as a top three batsman, you're in the wrong job."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon.
Eng 18-1
Taylor crowds Ballance with a short mid-wicket brought into a catching position, just over the shoulder of the helmeted short leg. But the Jamaican quick is a little wayward with his line, as Ballance helps himself to a two through the covers, before Taylor fires one down the leg side, skipper/keeper Denesh Ramdin gets a glove to it but can only push it away for five wides. The first boundary of the day, and it earns England a burst of music from Chickie's Disco - which has made it to North Sound from the old Antigua Recreation Ground.
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Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special
"The West Indies will hope that they can take advantage of some early swing and pick up two or three wickets, because once that swing wears off I think this is going to be a cracking batting pitch."
Eng 9-1
It's the Taylor and Roach show for West Indies as the game enters its sixth over of right-arm pace - we can expect ODI captain Jason Holder, back in the ranks in this format, on as first change, with fellow man-mountain Sulieman Benn available to bowl left-arm spin, while we might also see Marlon Samuels's off-spin a little later. Cook and Ballance add a single apiece.
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Joe Wilson
BBC News sports correspondent
On Twitter: "Spoke to Trott about just that eventuality before this match, good balls happen, let's back his new found perspective..."
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Tony Cozier
BBC Test Match Special
"Jerome Taylor has looked the business, as he did during the World Cup. Trott went very early indeed and I'm sure that's going to cause a lot of ripples."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon.
Eng 7-1
TMS welcomes Tony Cozier - the undisputed voice of West Indies cricket for several decades - back on commentary duty as Ballance is finally off the mark from the 10th ball he receives with a push through the covers. Taylor, round the wicket, retains a short-leg fielder for the England captain, while the slip cordon is now the land of the giants, with Jason Holder at third slip and Sulieman Benn at gully. Cook nudges one off his legs, and young Kraigg Brathwaite, shin pads and all, has to give chase from short leg as the batsmen run three.
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AJPS: Ballance is a hugely talented Test batsman, hoping for a big innings from him to remove any doubts after a poor World Cup.
James Gutteridge: If Ballance manages a good score today can we put the 'Trott must play' theory to bed?
Eng 3-1
Roach has three slips and a gully in, still bowling across the two left-handers and testing Cook with a bouncer, at which he hooks and misses. Another maiden.
For those of you who remember Allen Stanford's cricket ground, next to Antigua's airport, it's "completely gone to seed" according to Aggers - there are now football goalposts up there. For those of you who don't remember, it would take a whole separate live text to explain the events of that astonishing "Stanford week" in 2008.
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Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special
"Kemar Roach is certainly not the genuine fast bowler he was two or three years ago. He's clicked down 10mph, he must be trying to swing it instead."
Eng 3-1
There's a hold-up mid-over - this naturally makes one nervous, though we've only managed 14 balls at this stage, compared to the 10 the last time England played a Test on this ground - but thankfully the delay is just to summon a helmet and shin pads for a short-leg fielder (who is nevertheless wearing a chunky white wristwatch, hopefully a shatterproof one).
Taylor switches to bowling round the wicket to the left-handed Ballance, who is understandably watchful. Maiden over.
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Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician
"Jonathan Trott is playing his 50th Test, but this is only the third time he has opened in Test cricket, and only the 21st time he has opened in first-class cricket."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon.
Close!
Eng 3-1
Kemar Roach, a thick gold chain rattling around his neck, opens up from the Sir Curtly Ambrose End - and he nearly removes Cook with his third ball as he slants it across Cook, it takes the outside edge and doesn't quite carry to Bravo at slip.
The chastened Cook nudges a single off his legs, fellow left-hander Ballance attempts to do the same, and adds a leg bye to the score.
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David Hall: And what was the point of having Trott back in the team? Should have played Lyth.
Wyndham Hacket Pain: Ohh... Jonathan Trott. I think we all wished for a happier return.
Richie Macca: Nightmare for Trott. Good delivery to get early on, but he should be leaving that.
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Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special
"I'm very comfortable watching Gary Ballance come out in white clothing. I think we'll see a very different sort of Ballance than we did during the World Cup."
Eng 1-1
An early trip to the crease for Gary Ballance, who negotiates his first ball. Along with Joe Root, he's one of two Yorkshire players in the XI today - with Adam Lyth, Adil Rashid and Liam Plunkett all carrying the drinks.
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Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special
"Great bowling from Jerome Taylor. It was a natural outswinger using the breeze and Trott just edged across his crease."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon.
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Jonathan Agnew
BBC Test Match Special
"It was a rather tentative, poky sort of shot. It was a nice outswinger but he just offered the bat at it."
WICKET
Trott c Bravo b Taylor 0 (Eng 1-1)
Trott's comeback lasts only three balls as Taylor produces the perfect outswinger which the Warwickshire man edges to first slip. Not what he'd have wanted after nearly 18 months away from Test cricket.
Scorecard
Eng 1-0
Captain Cook, looking more natural in whites than he ever does in limited-overs clothing, gets England under way with a back-foot prod into the covers for one. So an early chance for Jonathan Trott to characteristically rake his crease. For his first ball, he comes across to the off side, exposing his leg stump and the ball whistles down the leg side, coming within inches of bowling him first ball...
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Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special
"I'm completely flabbergasted by the West Indies' decision to bowl first. The wicket looks an absolute belter. There's no grass, so it's a very strange option."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon.
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Jerome Taylor is going to take the new ball from the Sir Andy Roberts End - Aggers thinks it must be the only Test ground in the world where both ends are named after knighted ex-cricketers.
The Barbados ends, you may remember, are named after Joel Garner and the late Malcolm Marshall.
Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott prepare to do battle for England.
Farewell Richie
Cricket lost one of its true legends a few days ago - both teams have formed a guard of honour either side of the wicket, and are standing to observe a minute's silence in memory of the great Richie Benaud. Players and umpires are also wearing black armbands.
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Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special
"I would have gone with Adil Rashid. He's been the standout spinner in county cricket. It would have been the perfect chance. I think it's a very safe selection. If you look at James Tredwell in four-day cricket over the last few years, he hasn't been very good."
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Gosh, it seems the selection of James Tredwell is raising many people's hackles - and not just those from Yorkshire hoping for a Test cap for Adil Rashid.
Tredders' second Test cap comes five years after his first, when he was picked as the second spinner alongside Graeme Swann in Bangladesh.
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Michael Vaughan
Ex-England captain on BBC Test Match Special
"I'm really surprised that the West Indies have chosen to bowl first. There's nothing in the pitch. It's dry, there's been a bit of swing but it's been spinning square, which tells you that the ball will turn as the game progresses. But maybe they know something we don't."
Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon.
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Duncan Saunders: Isn't James Tredwell a drinks waiter? No? Well that's all he's been used for in the last eight months.
Mark Adamoulas: Great to see Jonathan Trott healthy & back in the England fold!
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The Sir Vivian Richards Stadium has honoured two of Antigua's former great fast bowlers, who were both knighted during the ODI series on this ground last year. The men in question are Sir Curtly Ambrose and Sir Andy Roberts - so it's a welcome to the Ambrose End and the Roberts End.
Captain's view
England captain Alastair Cook: "We were going to have a bat. It's a little bit tacky now but we wanted first use of it.
"It's great to have Trotty back. He's been through a bit of a journey and it's amazing that he's back."
On James Anderson's 100th Test: "He is the most skilful bowler I've seen, alongside his work ethic and discipline to stay fit. We hope we can make it a special week for him."
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Thaqif Islam: No disrespect to him but really see any positives from Tredwell's selection... hardly the future of England?
Philip Brooks: No Lyth? What does he need to do to get in the team? Yorkshire could do with those four players sunbathing in the Caribbean.
What about the Windies?
It's fair to say that while some England fans' eyes may be on a certain batsman making hay against student bowling attacks, West Indies are without some of their big names - with big-hitting opener Chris Gayle the most prominent absentee as his persistent back injury is preventing him from lasting through five-day cricket - although it didn't stop him making 96 from 56 balls in the Indian Premier League the other night.
Ireland fans may also feel a little wistful as their former coach Phil Simmons takes charge of a Test side for the first time, having replaced Ottis Gibson as Windies coach. (Gibson has since returned to his old role as England bowling coach).
Live now
BBC Radio Test Match Special
The familiar sound of "Soul Limbo" - particularly appropriate for Tests in the Caribbean - heralds the return of Test Match Special to the airwaves.
For those of you who may have been enjoying county cricket commentary on BBC Radio 5 live sports extra until now, you can still listen to every county game via the BBC Sport website - this page is a one-stop shop for all the commentaries.
Line-ups
West Indies: Devon Smith, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Marlon Samuels, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Jermaine Blackwood, Denesh Ramdin (capt & wk), Jason Holder, Jerome Taylor, Kemar Roach, Sulieman Benn.
England: Alastair Cook (capt), Jonathan Trott, Gary Ballance, Joe Root, Ian Bell, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler (wk), Chris Jordan, Stuart Broad, James Tredwell. James Anderson.
It's an Antipodean umpiring crew with Billy Bowden and Steve Davis on the field, and Bruce Oxenford on TV replays.
Get involved
So, from their last Test all those months ago, England have made three changes - with Jonathan Trott, Ben Stokes and James Tredwell replacing Sam Robson, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes. West Indies have three seamers with Sulieman Benn as the sole spinner.
We'd love to know what you make of it all - so do email us at tms@bbc.co.uk (with "For Mark Mitchener" in the subject line), text 81111 if you're in the UK, tweet us via #bbccricket or get involved via the BBC Sport Facebook page.
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Anderson approaches milestones
There is also the expectation that this should be a memorable Test in more ways than one for James Anderson. The leader of England's attack is due to step onto the field for his 100th Test, while he is also three wickets short of equalling Ian Botham's England record of 383 wickets from 102 Tests.
New opener, please
So, for the fifth time in eight Test series since the retirement of Andrew Strauss, England captain Alastair Cook will have another new opening partner. Following Nick Compton (three series), Joe Root (one), Michael Carberry (one) and Sam Robson (two), it's the turn of Jonathan Trott to accompany the Chef to face the new ball.
Toss
West Indies have won the toss and put England in - though Alastair Cook says he would have batted anyway.
It looks a balmy day in North Sound. The headline team news for England is that Jonathan Trott opens, Ben Stokes is back at number six, and James Tredwell is preferred to Adil Rashid as the sole spinner.
"What do you mean, it's been called off?"
It's also England's first Test at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua since what can only be described as a farce took place on Friday the 13th (yes, really) 2009.
The second Test - destined to be the shortest of all time - was only 10 balls old when it was abandoned because of an unfit outfield, with the West Indies bowlers struggling to keep their footing on the sandy soil. Not that those of us paying punters watching from the stands were even told about the abandonment for about half an hour - I found out in a text message from a friend in the UK.
Since then, conditions have improved - England returned there last year for three one-dayers while the stadium has since staged one more Test, against New Zealand in 2012.
New balls, please
Afternoon, everyone. England's fans have been gorged on a diet of nothing but limited-overs cricket for nearly eight months - but all you five-day devotees can come out of hibernation now, as England have donned their whites for the first time since the fifth Test against India in August 2014, which feels like a lifetime ago.
And for the first time in six years, they have a Test series in the Caribbean with which to contend.