even when the cricket is torpid and the scoring rate is barely more than two 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 .