Kavem Hodge emerged triumphant from a "brutal" battle with Mark Wood at Trent Bridge but admitted asking the England paceman to send him back to his family in one piece.
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Hodge celebrated his maiden Test century to lead a West Indian fightback on day two of the second Test, finishing with 120 as he faced down a steady supply of missiles from the fastest English bowler of his, or perhaps any, era.
Wood hit a top speed of 97.1mph in the morning session and sat between 93-94mph for the majority of the day, tossing his body to floor repeatedly as he strained every sinew for another yard on the speed gun.
He flung down his fair share of bouncers too, at one stage smashing Alick Athanaze square on the helmet at full speed as Hodge watched on from the non-striker's end.
"It was really brutal. It's not every day you rock up and face someone bowling 93mph every single ball," said Hodge, whose side finished 65 behind on 5-351.
"There was one point I was joking with him, I said 'hey, I have a wife and kids at home!'. He started to laugh and I think it made the century much more satisfying.
"Test cricket is brutal, it is challenging, it is mentally draining. To experience that, facing guys like Mark Wood, it was tough but it was satisfying.
"Some guys got hit but it's part of Test cricket. Kudos to Alick. He bounced back and was able to stand his ground and push on even further. I flinched, I thought I was going to get hit before that."
With Athanaze making 82, the pair shared a fine partnership of 175 as West Indies took advantage of good batting conditions to frustrate England.
Replying to England's total of 416, West Indies lost Mikyle Louis for 21, captain Kraigg Brathwaite for 48 and Kirk McKenzie for 11 in the morning session.
Louis tried to hit spinner Shoaib Bashir over the top and was well caught by Harry Brook running back at mid on.
Brathwaite was unsettled by a short-pitched delivery from fast bowler Gus Atkinson and popped up a simple catch to Ollie Pope at short leg.
McKenzie had a rush of blood shortly before lunch, attempting to hit Bashir over mid-off and sending the ball into the hands of England captain Ben Stokes.
Hodge received a lifeline on 16 when he edged Wood to Joe Root at first slip but the former England captain spilled the catch.
Athanaze hit one six and 10 fours and Hodge struck 19 boundaries, the pair mixing watchful defence with positive strokes when the bowlers strayed in line or length.
Athanaze was closing on his first Test century when he chopped Stokes to Brook at gully but Hodge reached three figures before being trapped lbw by Chris Woakes.
Jason Holder, on 23, and Joshua Da Silva, 32, will resume in the morning as West Indies try to establish a first-innings lead.
"It was a very hard-fought day. The West Indies put a decent partnership together, it was hard toil at times," England assistant coach Paul Collingwood said.
"This wicket looks a really good cricket wicket, when it's swinging it's got good carry. But you can score runs with a quick outfield. We threw everything at the West Indies today, but sometimes they have the answers."
England won the first match of the three-test series by an innings and 114 runs at Lord's.
Australian Associated Press
