Sir Viv Richards
Ex-West Indies captain on BBC Test Match Special

"The West Indies' body language doesn't look too good. They are sauntering around and it looks a foregone conclusion. There's some motivation needed because it still hasn't got away from them. They need to retain some control."

Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).

England 193-4 (58 overs) - lead by 297 runs

Batsmen: Ballance 74*, Stokes 20*

Fall of wickets: 15-1 (Trott 4), 20-2 (Cook 13), 52-3 (Bell 11), 166-4 (Root 59)

Bowling figures: Taylor 12-5-27-2, Roach 13-1-47-0, Holder 13-5-39-1, Benn 15-2-62-0, Samuels 5-0-13-0

First innings: England 399; West Indies 295

Full scorecard

Image source, Getty Images

England captain Alastair Cook and coach Peter Moores, up on the balcony, will be fairly pleased with this morning session so far, as apart from Joe Root's wicket, it's been steady, risk-free accumulation. Stokes is toying with West Indies, taking a couple of twos before swiping a four between the solitary slip and gully. "The horse has bolted, and it's running away down the road" notes Tony Cozier on TMS as Ramdin belatedly brings in an extra slip. Stokes isn't hanging around here and the game is slipping away from West Indies.

Chris Mills: Stourport CC seconds were once off due to cows invading the home side's ground and leaving hoofprints on a length.

With combined match figures of 40-5-144-0 before this over, fair to say it's not been a vintage game for left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn. England are picking off ones and twos with ease. His figures are now 15-2-62-0 for the innings, 41-5-147-0 for the match.

Sir Viv Richards
Ex-West Indies captain on BBC Test Match Special

"From all accounts, Devendra Bishoo has bowled well this season. He's a leggie from Guyana. I'm not sure why he was dropped because he has got an immaculate record. There are no excuses for him not to be playing."

Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).

Holder's fit to continue - how West Indies need him, as the last thing you need with a four-man attack is one of those four going off injured. Ballance helps himself to a couple, then a long-hop outside off stump is easily slapped through the covers for four to the delight of some England fans on the grassy terraces behind that boundary. Holder is frustrated as the last ball beats Ballance's outside edge - the old Harrovian has 74 from 177 balls.

Nicholas Rowe: "On 13 Jan 1983, our Sudbury CC game stopped to allow Anneka Rice's helicopter to land for an episode of Treasure Hunt., external OK, it was a bit staged, but it was still a memorable pitch invasion (vivid memories of shiny spandex).

While the Windies physio goes to have a word with Holder on the boundary, Benn is rather taken aback as Stokes gets off the mark by fluently reverse-sweeping him for four - and then repeats the shot at the end of the over, taking advantage of a characteristically unguarded third man boundary.

Pete, Lutterworth: At Stoneygate Cricket Club in the early '90s, we had to stop a game to pursue a gunman who had shot a child through some woods at the edge of our ground. We caught him and turned him over to the police and the club received a letter from the Chief Constable. Unfortunately, by the time it was all over, it had started raining heavily and the match was abandoned…

Ballance plays out a probing maiden over from Holder - but Sir Viv Richards on TMS notices Holder having a word with Ramdin at the end of the over and then stalking off to the boundary - he may be carrying an injury.

Rob from Salisbury: I played in the stuffed tiger game. I must admit I'd forgotten about it before your mention.

Re: 15.17 (Graeme Fowler's autobiography) that's simply untrue. Root is an opener and bats middle order. Katich did it for Aus. The reason middle-order batsmen don't open is because facing the new ball is a different skill to batting middle-order. Lyth won't open for England, they have no intention of picking him because if he did well that would cause them problems and they'd have to leave someone out when Moeen gets back. Same reason Rashid wasn't picked. They didn't want him to do well as that would have caused selection problems when Moeen is back and England constitutionally aren't allowed to select two spinners.

Stokes holds the pose, he doesn't think he's out - and not only was the impact outside off stump (with Stokes playing a shot), the ball-tracker shows it missing the stumps completely - so that's about as "not out" as you can get. I repeat my suggestion from yesterday that captain Denesh Ramdin should have some remedial lessons on the use of DRS, as West Indies have wasted their reviews in quite a shocking manner. Perhaps Swanny could have a word?

Single from Ballance, then there's a big appeal as Big Benn hits Stokes on the pad sweeping. Umpire Davis shakes his head as Benn descends to one knee - and West Indies gamble with their last review (though they get the back after 80 overs).

Image source, AP

Charlie de Mierre: I was playing in a school match which had to be put on hold for about 45 minutes in order to deal with the mother of one of my team-mates, who had turned up to watch the game tipsy and then proceeded to booze her way through at least a bottle of gin. Her support from the boundary was so inappropriately raucous that the game was stopped while a cab was ordered to take her home and she was force-fed tea and Victoria sponge in the pavilion.

Ben Stokes is the new batsman, joining fellow left-hander Ballance at the crease. The Durham man sees out the rest of Holder's over - the Windies ODI captain has 1-24 from 10 overs.

James Gutteridge: If Root doesn't go on to be England's all-time highest run scorer then something will have gone horribly wrong.

Harry Shawyer: *Turns cricket on* England lose a wicket within 2 minutes. *Turns cricket off*.

With an hour of play gone, the umpires see Root's dismissal as a good time to wave the drinks break on. England lead by 270.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

"He played it very softly, very late. There are many ways to get out, let me tell you. And he'll have a few more funny ones before he finishes his career. But he played very well. He was busy - and he did it in both innings."

Listen to TMS commentary via the audio icon (available in UK only).

Image source, Reuters

For the second time in this match, Joe Root has played a delicate defensive shot onto his stumps after a good-looking half century - the bowler was Taylor in the first innings, Holder this time, and the young Yorkshireman walks off shaking his head as the potential for a big innings is quashed again.

Scorecard

Image source, Reuters