Kavem Hodge’s century was the beacon of hope that West Indies needed to stay afloat in the second Test against England at Trent Bridge. His magnificent innings of 120 runs off 171 balls sent a defiant message to the hosts: the visitors are not done yet.

At the start of the second day, West Indies knew they had to dig deep to avoid another collapse, which would have left them staring at an English clean sweep at Edgbaston. But they ended the day on 351 for five, trailing by just 65 runs, and dreaming of a chance to give their hosts a bloody nose.

When Kirk McKenzie was dismissed shortly before lunch, it seemed like the same old story of West Indian decline. But Joe Root’s dropped catch of Hodge on 16 off Mark Wood’s delivery turned the tide of the game. Hodge and Alick Athanaze then stitched together a potent partnership, with Hodge’s powerful pulls and Athanaze’s elegant drives earning them a congratulatory tweet from the Dominican prime minister.

Hodge whooped in delight and jumped into the bear-like arms of Jason Holder as he celebrated his century

Shoaib Bashir finished the day as England’s top bowler with two wickets on Day Two 

England were left frustrated following a difficult day on the wicket in scintillating heat

The pair added 175 runs, their team’s highest stand for the fourth wicket at this ground since 1950, when Everton Weekes and Frank Worrell put on 283. If Hodge and Athanaze go on to achieve even half as much as those two, talk of West Indies’ terminal decline may have to be put on hold.

Athanaze, playing only his sixth Test, fell 18 runs short of what would have been a stellar century, but his dismissal did not trigger a collapse. Instead, Hodge pressed on, eventually bringing up his maiden hundred with a drive down the ground off Stokes.

The old ball started to misbehave, and Chris Woakes finally pinned Hodge leg-before for 120, the game’s 15th wicket and the first not to fall to a catch.

Mark Wood, meanwhile, may grow old wondering how he failed to break through on a day when his pace drew gasps from the crowd, and one false stroke after another from the batsmen.

The day’s 10th over had been his first, and it was worth the wait: an average speed of 94.41mph was the fastest by an England bowler in a home Test since such things were first recorded in 2006. In his next over, Wood went even faster: 94.47mph. And when the fifth ball of his third measured 97.1, requiring smart evasive action from Mikyle Louis, the spectators’ disbelief was audible.

Alick Athanaze was caught just 18 runs short of what would have been a stellar century

Ben Stokes was frustrated with his bowling display as he managed just one wicket from 61 runs

Mark Wood touched 97.1mph with his deliveries at Trent Bridge but failed to take a wicket

If Wood’s efforts were precisely the kind England crave on pitches as flat as this, it was a mixed day for others. Bashir induced a horrible hoick from Louis that was brilliantly held by Brook, running back from mid-on, to end a promising opening stand of 53, and Gus Atkinson bounced out Kraigg Brathwaite, who prodded to short leg for 48.

West Indies’ run-rate of 4.17 was not far behind England’s 4.70, and they never allowed the bowlers to settle, playing out just six maidens – three of them from Wood. Atkinson, who is likely to be rotated out of Edgbaston, returned to earth after his 12-wicket debut at Lord’s, and Bashir was milked with ease.

As the shadows lengthened, West Indian wicketkeeper Josh Da Silva tucked into a tiring attack, leaving Hodge to salute an ‘amazing day’ and England to wonder whether their lack of ruthlessness with the bat 24 hours earlier may yet come back to haunt them.