Ben Stokes is set to play his first County Championship game for two years in Durham's match away to Lancashire.
After a two-year absence, Ben Stokes, the England Test captain, is returning to play in a County Championship match for Durham against Lancashire on Friday. This will be his first game in the Championship since May 2022. Stokes, 32 years old, is using this opportunity to prepare for England's upcoming Test series against West Indies and Sri Lanka. The match will take place at Stanley Park in Blackpool as Stokes looks to regain his form and fitness for international cricket.
After a two-year absence, Ben Stokes, the England Test captain, is returning to play in a County Championship match for Durham against Lancashire on Friday. This will be his first game in the Championship since May 2022. Stokes, 32 years old, is using this opportunity to prepare for England's upcoming Test series against West Indies and Sri Lanka. The match will take place at Stanley Park in Blackpool as Stokes looks to regain his form and fitness for international cricket.
"Ryan Campbell, the head coach of Durham, is recommending that if you have a free weekend, you should head down to Blackpool to watch Ben Stokes make his return for the team. Stokes has decided not to participate in the T20 World Cup so that he can concentrate on getting back to full fitness as an all-rounder for the Test team. After undergoing knee surgery, Stokes played in all five Tests during England's tour of India, but he only bowled five overs in the entire series, all of them in the final Test."
England's first Test against the West Indies is set to take place at Lord's on 10 July, and Durham's upcoming match against Lancashire is one of several opportunities for Ben Stokes to play red-ball cricket before that date.
Stokes did not participate in county cricket last year as he focused on recovering from a knee injury prior to the Ashes.
In 2022, he has played three matches for Durham in Division Two in order to prepare for his new role as England captain. During this time, he achieved an impressive 161 runs off just 88 balls against Worcestershire at New Road, and also took 4-72 in a match against Middlesex at Lord's.
Durham is getting ready to welcome Stokes back to their team, and Australian Campbell expressed how thrilled they are to have one of the world's top cricketers on their side. Campbell mentioned that there is a palpable sense of excitement when Stokes is around, and having the opportunity to play alongside and learn from such a talented and experienced player is truly incredible for the team.