Jonathan Agnew
BBC cricket correspondent in Barbados

You wouldn't necessarily put Permaul in the top echelon of left-arm spinners in world cricket, and Stokes is clearly after him now.

Eng 342-3published at 113.0 overs

113.0 overs

Suspect this might be the last we see of Veerasammy Permaul for a while.

The left-arm spinner tosses one up and Ben Stokes gives himself room deep in the crease before hauling him into the crowd over mid-wicket. A brutal six.

Next ball Stokes backs away and pings it Permaul over the cover for a four.

Jack Tanner: Don't know if it's a poor pitch or poor opposition but I'm enjoying England getting past 300 (and hopefully 400+) for once.

Ben Stokes creams another drive off Alzarri Joseph but picks out the fielder and picks up a single.

Joe Root, meanwhile, quietly going about his business at the other end. Having picked up a boundary of Joseph's first ball of the over the bowler responds with his last and cuts the England skipper in two.

Michael Sneddon: Ben Stokes is on one again.

Fielders stationed out on the boundary. Can Veerasammy Permaul have the last laugh with Ben Stokes here?

Stokes backs away to his final ball and attempts to slap him into the off side with a baseball shot, but mid-off is down to stop it.

Kumaran Ravendradas: The way England are going, they could be up to 600 soon after tea today. This middle order of Lawrence, Stokes and Bairstow could show us what they really can muscle when the top order give them a platform.

A rare moment of encouragement for the West Indies bowling attack as Joe Root is drawn into playing and missing to Alzarri Joseph's second ball outside off stump.

"Can you get that white stuff off the ball" Benjamin Stokes asks the umpires. You sense half in genuine inquisition, half taking the mick as to where he's been whacking it.

Joseph's final delivery is put away to the boundary by Stokes with a lovely clip through mid-wicket. He's in the zone.

All about Steve: It's when you start calling him "Benjamin Stokes" that you know Ben Stokes is batting like "Benjamin Stokes".

Jonathan Agnew
BBC cricket correspondent in Barbados

Ben Stokes in this mood looks extremely dangerous.

Fifty for Stokespublished at 108.5 overs

108.5 overs

A great piece of analysis on the TV about how Ben Stokes put away what was essentially the same delivery from Veerasammy Permaul a couple of overs ago in two very different ways.

Stokes continues his assault on the left-arm spinner and brings up his fifty in style with another monster six down the ground. Great use of the feet from Stokes, who combines power and timing to devastating effect.

He has a smirk on his face when he raises his bat. Stokes is enjoying himself out there.

Image source, Getty Images

Josh Land: Say what you want about this pitch. But England are purring here.

A little more calm from Joe Root against Alzarri Joseph with England's captain happy to play second fiddle to Ben Stokes at the moment.

Root nudges one to get Stokes on strike. The all-rounder plonks his foot down and attempts to smash Joseph into the sea. He doesn't quite connect and the ball goes, before it plonks safely into the outfield.

Not quite timed by Stokes that time. He's keep the strike, though.

Jonathan Agnew
BBC cricket correspondent in Barbados

Stokes is looking in wonderful touch. He's played some fine drives and a reverse sweep for four... the pitch looks very good for batting at the moment.

Stokes is taking a particular liking to the left arm spin of Permaul.

Eng 304-3published at 106.2 overs

106.2 overs

Ben Stokes has had a look at Veerasammy Permaul and has seen enough. He wants to move the game along.

The left-hander plays a tremendous reverse sweep to powerfully dispatch the boundary for four.

Next ball, he skips down the pitch and whacks it high into the stands forcing a spectator clutching a drink - who thought for a moment about trying to take the catch - to take evasive action.

Image source, Getty Images

Stand and deliver from Ben Stokes.

The England all-rounder chips Alzarri Joseph's third ball over the top of mid-off's head and the ball races away to the boundary.

That wasn't perfectly timed by Stokes, who kind of sliced the shot, but he had enough muscle behind it to get it over the rope for four.

Steven Finn
Former England bowler on BT Sport

Joe Root is used to the pace of the pitch and is making batting look easy. West Indies are still going to attempt to barrage England's batters. For Root now it's all about making it a 'Daddy Hundred' as Graham Gooch used to say.

Spin for the first time today as left-arm tweaker Veerasammy Permaul wheels away over the wicket to Ben Stokes.

Stokes attempts to throw Permaul off his length by first advancing down the track to snuff out the spin, then going back and working it round the corner off his legs.

Good use of the feet off the final ball brings him a single, pushed down the ground.

Carlos Brathwaite
West Indies all-rounder on BT Sport

West Indies needed one or two wickets in that first hour but they haven't come. England haven't massively got away, though. The ball is new enough to attack but the pitch is flat. They either need to go hell for leather and get that wicket, or be defensive and bide their time by drying up the runs.