England declared first innings on 469-9 against Windies
Meanwhile opener Dom Sibley made a painstaking 120 and put on 260 with star all-rounder Stokes after England had been in trouble at 81-3 on Thursday following the loss of returning captain Joe Root.
West Indies, faced with a tricky hour to bat until stumps on the second day, lost John Campbell to the recalled Sam Curran and were 32-1 at the close.
England had been forced into a late change to their pace attack after fast bowler Jofra Archer was dramatically omitted Thursday for breaching the bio-secure bubble by making an unauthorised trip home to Brighton following the West Indies´ four-wicket win in last week´s first Test at Southampton.
But left-arm paceman Curran, who might not have played if Archer had been retained, made the breakthrough when an inswinger had Campbell lbw on review and he would have also had nightwatchman Alzarri Joseph leg before if England had challenged a not out decision.
England came into this match already planning to revamp their pace attack, with Stuart Broad , angry at being rested last week, back in action.
James Anderson, was rested in turn, even though this match was taking place at the Lancashire home ground of England's all-time leading wicket-taker, with Chris Woakes recalled after Mark Wood was also given a breather.
But the day belonged to Sibley and Stokes, whose partnership was the second-highest for the fourth-wicket by England against the West Indies, behind the celebrated stand of 411 shared by Peter May and Colin Cowdrey at Edgbaston back in 1957.
Sibley's hundred was one of the slowest in Tests by an England batsman, the opener batting for 471 minutes nearly eight hours to complete a 312-ball century featuring a mere fours.
But the 24-year-old Warwickshire right-hander's second hundred in his eight Tests, following 133 not out against South Africa at Cape Town in January, was a valuable innings.
And he made normally reliable West Indies captain Jason Holder pay for dropping him in the slips on 68.
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