BEN STOKES flexed his mighty muscles in a counter-attack to keep West Indies on the back foot – despite their best day of the series so far.

It was hardly difficult for the men from the Caribbean to enjoy an improvement on their Edgbaston shocker, but even on a day when they dismissed England for 258, it could still have been so much better for them.

The fact that Stokes made it to his sixth Test hundred before he was finally caught – at the third time of asking – will be a source of huge frustration to the Windies, who closed the day on 19-1.

England were also indebted to skipper Joe Root (right) for another fifty, but he will be disappointed not to have made it a ton.

And after four dropped catches in all, perhaps it was frustration that came spilling out of Shannon Gabriel when he gave England’s leading man a send-off after having him caught behind.

“It’s not the first time I’ve had a send-off!” said Stokes. “There’s nothing to it, just part of the game, it is international sport.

“It’s always nice to make them pay when you get dropped. To do well you need a bit of luck, but you put it to the back of your mind and get on with it.

“I struggled a little bit early on, but got myself going and a few came out the middle.

“And when you get on a roll like I did then you just want it to keep going.”

Gabriel himself dropped Stokes on 98 when he tried to hit Kemar Roach back over his head.

But Kraigg Brathwaite’s drop when Stokes had made just nine may yet prove to be the biggest turning point here in Leeds.

Stokes piled up 91 more runs from 93 balls as he thrashed the Windies to the boundary 17 times in an innings of gusto.

You would not expect much else from Stokes – and some of his strokeplay was incredible.

Root’s 59 could be crucial in a low-scoring contest, but when you consider he was out caught at slip trying to paddle-sweep the leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo from outside off stump, you will appreciate that he didn’t need to take such a risk.

Gabriel and Roach made the Windies attack appear genuine Test class for a change. If only their fielding was at that level.

“These things happen, no one drops a catch on purpose,” said Roach. “It was a good day for us and a good response on day one.”