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.

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?

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, external - he's now on 64, two short of leader Graham Gooch (66). Stokes is yet to score.

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.

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.

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."

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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

Image source, Reuters

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."

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.

Tim Duffy: Haydn Sully, external 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!

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?

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."

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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.

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."

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.

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...

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.

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.

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.

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."

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