Nottingham: Kavem Hodge scored his maiden Test hundred in Nottingham on Friday as West Indies made life tough for England during their first day in the field since James Anderson's international retirement.
West Indies were 351-5 in reply to England's first-innings 416 at stumps on the second day of the second Test at Trent Bridge, a deficit of 65 runs.
Hodge, dropped on 16, made 120 in his seventh Test innings.
"It feels amazing. It is always good to contribute to the team, especially coming off the first Test when we didn't do so well as a batting unit," Hodge told Sky Sports.
The 31-year-old's shared a partnership of 175 with fellow Windward Islands batsman Alick Athanaze, who fell on 82 in sight of his first Test century. The fourth-wicket duo showed application many feared the West Indies lacked.
"Batting with Alick is always good because he is so aggressive," said Hodge. "The attention goes away from me and I can bat under the radar."
'Waiting game'
Hodge, whose previous highest Test score was 71 in the West Indies' thrilling eight-run win over Australia in Brisbane in January, added: "My strength in batting is my powers of concentration. I love batting for a long time...I enjoy playing the waiting game."
Athanaze and Hodge came together shortly before lunch with West Indies in trouble at 84-3 despite a good pitch, sunny skies and a lightning quick outfield, that all favoured batsmen.
For much of the past 21 years, England would have called upon paceman Anderson.
But the 41-year-old bowed out of Test cricket with 704 wickets - the most by any fast bowler - with England's thrashing of the West Indies in the series opener at Lord's. England want to refresh their side ahead of the 2025/26 Ashes in Australia.
This is England's first home Test since 2012 without either Anderson or his longtime new-ball partner Stuart Broad, who retired after last year's Ashes.
Between them, the pair took 1,308 Test wickets.
Instead, Chris Woakes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson, fresh from a 12-wicket haul on Test debut at Lord's shared the new ball on Friday.
Bashir's double
But it was Shoaib Bashir who did the early damage with both Mikyle Louis and Kirk McKenzie out to rash shots as the 20-year-old off-spinner took his first Test wickets on home soil.
In between, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite fell for 48 when he fended a rising Atkinson delivery straight to Ollie Pope at short leg.
But just as England had benefitted from several dropped catches Thursday, with Pope missed twice during his 121, so too was Hodge reprieved when he edged express quick Mark Wood - recalled in place of Anderson - to first slip, only for Joe Root to floor a regulation two-handed chance.
Athanaze, meanwhile, was hit on the helmet by a Wood bouncer on 48.
The duo were eventually separated when Stokes, who didn't come on until the 50th over, had Athanaze slapping a wide ball to Harry Brook at gully to end a 99-ball innings that included 10 fours and a six.
Hodge pulled Stokes for four to go to 97 before driving the all-rounder straight down the ground for a 17th boundary in 143 balls faced to complete his century. The diminutive batsman joyfully leaped into the arms of towering non-striker Jason Holder.
Hodge eventually fell lbw to Woakes. But at 305-5 the West Indies had already made far more than the 257 runs combined they managed in two innings at Lord's.
Woakes finished the day with 1-59 from 18 overs but Wood, who repeatedly topped speeds of 93 mph (150 km/h) and beat the outside edge, had no reward in a return of 0-51 in 14.1 overs before leaving the field with cramp.
