Ben Stokes
Stokes' 120 was his 11th hundred in Tests

Some of the greatest memories of the England fans were being stirred as Ben Stokes launched cricket balls towards them.

After a difficult 18 months, the talismanic all-rounder looked like a superhero stripped of their cape during England's humiliating loss to Australia.

He was ready for another starring role in Barbados, and he wore that outfit like it had just been fitted.

In the morning session on the second day of the second Test against the West Indies, captain Joe Root passed 150 and Ben Stokes smashed 120 from 128 balls.

It was his first century since July 2020, a period in which he has had a number of challenges to overcome.

In December of 2020, the father of the player, Ged, died and four months later, he suffered a serious finger injury.

He would be out for three months until he was rushed back, injury not yet fully healed, to answer England's call and captain a one-day international side against Pakistan that was cobbled together after a Covid outbreak.

His return lasted less than a month as he decided to take a break from cricket to focus on his mental wellbeing.

After being left out of the English team for the first two Tests of the Australian series, he returned for the final two, but was unable to repeat his previous heroics.

Since then, he has been honest.

He said he let the team down during the England loss. He decided to focus on England's red-ball rebirth after pulling out of the Indian premier league.

It is great for this new England that they have a player like that. He was at his best.

He scored 89 runs in the first session alone and helped England to declare on 507-9 before the day was over.

It was more similar to his Cape Town demolition in 2016 when he hit 258 against South Africa, than to the 135 he scored in the Test match against England at Headingley in 2019.

The way he got off the mark should have signaled something. It was brutal.

Veerasammy Permaul was hit towards the Caribbean Sea so often that even on a pitch where spin looks the biggest threat, the slow left armer was deemed useless.

It was like watching cricket played on the County Durham beaches when Seamer Alzarri Joseph was dispatched with such ease.

The supreme root joked that he wished he could do what Stokes was doing at the other end.

After two hours had passed, the day was over and the player had reached three figures from 114 balls.

He lifted his left hand and gestured towards the sky, after removing his helmet.

Ben Stokes' tribute to father Ged
Stokes' tribute is a reference to his father who had a finger amputated after multiple dislocations playing rugby league

It is a very special feeling, according to Stokes.

It was nice to look up to the sky and say "Cheers", I don't like to speak selfishly.

That is one of the more memorable hundreds I have because of everything that has happened over the last 18 months to two years.

It was great. In India last year I got 99 in a one-day international win and it was a bit of a dagger in the heart so it was nice to get there and remember him that way.

One mighty six took Stokes past 5,000 Test runs.

He became the sixth man to score over 5,000 runs and claim 150 or more dismissals in Tests, joining Lord Botham, Sir Garfield Sobers, Kapil Dev, and Jacques Kallis.

It is not just about numbers. The way he makes you feel along the way is the style he uses to achieve those feats.