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.

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?, external He was a great character."

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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

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

Image source, 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.

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).

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.

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!

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.

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.

Taylor keeps it tight against Bell for a maiden over. The skies look clear after that tiniest of rain interruptions we had earlier.

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."

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.

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.

Image source, Reuters

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.

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.