Ben Stokes carves 176 after Sibley ton as England declare at 469-9

Ben Stokes celebrates his century against WI at Old Trafford yesterday. Pic /afp

Ben Stokes piled on the agony for the West Indies with a century on Day Two of the second Test at Old Trafford on Friday. England declared their innings at 469-9. Stokes made an impressive 176 before being caught by wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich off pacer Kemar Roach. Earlier, together with centurion Dom Sibley (123), Stokes put on 260 for the fourth wicket after the pair came together on Thursday with England struggling at 81-3 following the loss of returning captain Joe Root.

Sibley's hundred was one of the slowest in Tests by an England batsman, the opener batting for 471 minutes - nearly eight hours - to complete a 312-ball century featuring a mere fours. But the Warwickshire right-hander's second hundred in eight career Tests, following his 133 not out against South Africa at Cape Town in January, was a valuable innings all the same. And he made the normally reliable Jason Holder pay for dropping him in the slips on 68.

Run-scoring was difficult against a swinging ball and on a sluggish outfield, with even the normally fluent Stokes taking nearly six hours and 285 balls to complete his 10th Test century. But, significantly, Stokes's third fifty came off just 46 balls and, having given Sibley a ‘head start' of 31.2 overs, he overtook his teammate's total.

England resumed on their overnight 207-3, with Sibley 86 not out and Stokes, their stand-in captain when Root missed last week's four-wicket loss in the first Test at Southampton to attend the birth of his second child, unbeaten on 59.

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