Even when the cricket is torpid and the scoring rate is barely more than two an over, life with England will never be dull while Ben Stokes is around. Stokes was at the centre of everything on a hard-fought first day of the second Test as England strove to set up the victory that is essential to their wellbeing. First the Durham all-rounder injured himself, then he struck immediately when he came on to bowl and finally became embroiled in a heated dispute with Marlon Samuels that led to him being admonished by umpire Steve Davis. All in a day’s work for a gifted cricketer who looks destined to endure as many lows as he does highs in what is shaping up to be an eventful career. Stokes athletically fields a shot from Samuels off his own bowling at the Grenada National Stadium in Saint George's . Australian umpire Steve Davis reprimands England's Ben Stokes after he exchanged words with Marlon Samuels . Stokes went wicketless in 32 overs in the first Test, even throwing away a dismissal for the second time by overstepping, and ended up in a strident Twitter debate with his critics. Here he slipped on the greasy outfield and twisted his body in a manner that had anyone who saw Simon Jones suffer serious injury in Brisbane in 2002 holding their breath. Thankfully Stokes was able to continue after treatment but was still feeling the injury when he came on to bowl, with England battling for the wickets they desperately needed to justify Alastair Cook’s decision to insert West Indies. It clearly did not hinder him. Stokes struck with his second ball, forcing Shiv Chanderpaul to steer loosely to point and open the door for England to take command of this Test and the series. Kraigg Brathwaite is first to fall as James Anderson bowls the West Indies opener with a massive in-swinger . Ben Stokes races in to celebrate with Anderson after the opening bowler makes the breakthrough with a sensational delivery . Anderson's 84mph huge in-swinger bamboozled Brathwaite (left) and the batsman falls over having played a line way outside off stump . Replays show Devon Smith clearly misses the ball before being dismissed caught behind off Chris Jordan . Smith declines his option to review the decision which would have likely been reversed with HotSpot not available in this Test series . Smith is given out as England players celebrate their second wicket of a rain-shortened first session . It was just what Cook needed from a gifted but raw all-rounder who seemingly will always flirt with the self-destruct button but who has the ability to become a key figure in England’s future. When he scored an Ashes century in the most difficult of circumstances in Perth he was a rare ray of light in a lamentable series and looked destined to bat at No 6 for England and act as an attacking fourth seamer for the next 10 years. Yet just a few months later he was putting himself out of the World Twenty20 by punching a locker in frustration in Barbados at the start of a nightmare run of form with both bat and ball for England. It did not get any better when Stokes regained fitness and he was so out of touch that England, having moved him up and down the batting order, left him out of their doomed World Cup campaign. Now he is back he should become a fixture but already, with Moeen Ali returning after injury, he has lost his No 6 position again despite impressing in Antigua by taking the attack to West Indies. There were times on Tuesday night when Bayern Munich seemed to be scoring at a faster rate than West Indies. This was a day for the purist, a stultifying example of modern-day Caribbean cricket where there is far more life in the stands than in the pitches. Bayern may have hit six in the Champions League but there was never any danger of a six being hit in the 70 overs that were possible here. The atmosphere was made for swing bowling but the 22 yards of dirt masquerading as a cricket pitch did not assist the England attack one bit. It was Jimmy Anderson, fresh from breaking Sir Ian Botham’s record to become England’s leading wicket-taker in Test cricket, who began the day by producing an unplayable inswinger to demolish Kraigg Brathwaite. At that stage English hopes were high that Anderson would run through West Indies. Sadly for them it was not that simple. England were helped by a couple of Caribbean rushes of blood, but Devon Smith for one can justifiably feel very hard done by. The first Grenadian to play Test cricket on his home island was given out by Australian umpire Davis for what seemed a regulation edge after Smith had played a wild shot at Chris Jordan. Trouble was, replays showed Smith was nowhere near it and the sound that both Davis and presumably he heard was his bat hitting the ground. A review would have surely led to Smith’s reinstatement even though there is no HotSpot or Snicko here to attempt to provide conclusive proof of an umpiring mistake. But Smith did not call on technology. Neither Darren Bravo nor Chanderpaul will be happy with the strokes that cost them their wickets and at 74 for four West Indies were teetering. Yet Samuels, despite being dropped by Cook off Jordan on 32, and Jermaine Blackwood made life hard again with the help of that annoying 22 yards of turf. Jordan celebrates his first wicket of this match, Devon Smith, as the West Indies went to lunch 36 for two . West Indies batsman Jermaine Blackwood leaps as he avoids a bouncer from the bowling of Anderson . Marlon Samuels flashes a drives through the covers which Alastair Cook has no interest in being collected by as he jumps out of the way . Samuels hits Moeen Ali, who came in for James Tredwell, through the covers as Cook leaps out of the way . Umpire Davis had another uncomfortable moment when he ruled Blackwood not out when Jordan, who would have been the man to miss out had England plumped for a second spinner here in Adil Rashid, appealed loudly for lbw. England decided to review and the ball was found to be hitting. But Cook’s miss of Samuels began to look costly when he opened his shoulders in partnership with Denesh Ramdin after taking 141 balls to reach 50. The calm was broken when Samuels, who has a far better record against England than any other team and names Nasser Hussain as his ultimate batting hero, wound up Stokes, who had been sledging him constantly. It ended with Stokes throwing wildly in an attempt to run out Samuels and conceding overthrows. The spiky Jamaican ended unbeaten on 94 with West Indies reaching 188 for five on a truncated day. Darren Bravo got a start of 35 from 81 balls before he was caught at first slip by Cook off the bowling of Broad to put the Windies 65-3 . Bravo shows his frustration after edging a routine delivery from Broad outside off stump, which followed some loose bowling . England celebrate the key wicket of West Indies most experienced batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul cheaply for one . Cook is on his hands and knees after dropping a catch from the edge of Marlon Samuels, who put up the greatest resistance for the hosts . Samuels finds himself on his back after a bouncer from Stuart Broad, who was criticised for bowling too short on day one . Stokes overcame an injury scare after falling awkwardly but required a period of treatment from the England medical staff on the field .
Marlon Samuels on 94 not out at stumps after being dropped on 32 on day one of the second Test . Ben Stokes was admonished by the umpire Steve Davis after a heated exchange with Samuels in Grenada . Chris Jordan took two wickets while James Anderson, Stokes and Stuart Broad all claimed one each . Replays showed opener Devon Smith clearly missed the ball when he was dismissed by Jordan . Captain Denesh Ramdin and Samuels will resume on day two at National Cricket Stadium in St George's .