Centurion Stokes feared the worst after 'brain fart' on 98

Ben Stokes described how a "brain fart" nearly cost him a sixth Test hundred and lamented an underwhelming day for England against West Indies despite recording three figures.

All-rounder Stokes struck exactly 100, anchoring England's 258 all out, having entered the game with the hosts on 71-4 amid familiar top-order failures.

Kemar Roach and Shannon Gabriel particularly excelled with the ball, picking up four wickets apiece as the Windies gave a stiff response to their innings thrashing in the first Test, although the latter infuriated his bowling partner when dropping the simplest of catches to dismiss Stokes on 98.

Stokes brought up his hundred from the very next delivery and admitted he feared the worst, having picked out the fielder.

"I just described it as a brain fart. I don't know what happened," Stokes explained. "I've seen it going towards him [Gabriel] and I was like: 'Oh…'.

"I saw he dropped it so it was, 'I got away with that one'.

"I'm not quite sure what I was thinking as he was running up and then trying to hit him over his head."

Of England's total, Stokes added: "We said as a team in the changing rooms it's not one of our best days with the bat.

"But you never know if it's a good score until the West Indies innings is finished.

"It's 260 more than we had this morning so it's up to how we respond and how we bowl the areas we bowl. Hopefully we can create a few chances."

Roach accounted for Mark Stoneman and Tom Westley as the tourists dominated England's under-fire top order early on.

"I think it was a good day for us - to bowl the English out on the first day is pretty good," Roach said.

"We had a very open discussion in our team meetings and the guys were totally honest with themselves - we weren't good enough in the last Test.

"We have point to prove in this Test and we're going to try and play the best brand of cricket we can."

The paceman has faith his batting colleagues can back up his and Gabriel's excellent work.

He added: "I'm positive in the batsmen, they've been working very hard in the nets for the last couple of days.

"There's no doubt I'm looking for pretty big things from them in this Test match."

(OMNISPORT)