Stokes Takes Two Wickets in Durham Return - Cricket Scores
Ben Stokes made his red-ball comeback for Durham against Worcestershire and took two wickets, a return that came with cricket scores moving quickly on a rain-affected day at New Road. The 34-year-old sent down 14 overs across three spells and started with the new ball in his first County Championship match for Durham in nearly two years.
New Road and Stokes
Worcestershire reached 209 for seven on Friday, with Stokes among the bowlers used as Durham worked through the opening day. He was operating in a role he has rarely held in Test cricket, having opened the bowling in only two of his 120 Test matches.
That workload matters because it showed Durham were prepared to use him straight away rather than ease him in as a specialist batter. It also gave England a fresh look at how he might fit into a bowling group that will be under strain through the summer.
England bowling options
Stokes was England’s joint-leading wicket-taker in 2025 with Josh Tongue, finishing that year with 33 wickets at 23 runs apiece. He also made his first century for two years against India at Old Trafford last summer, which underlined how much his value still runs through both disciplines.
England’s home summer will be the first in 20 years without Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad or Chris Woakes available, and that leaves a gap in the attack that selectors will have to manage. Early-season attention is already on Ollie Robinson and Sam Cook, while Marcus North is expected to be involved in selection decisions.
Stokes and the June series
The timing gives England a useful stretch of County Championship cricket before the June three-Test series against New Zealand. Stokes had been expected to be available for Durham from the start of the season before his cheekbone fracture in February, and Friday’s outing was his first outing since the Ashes.
He had also drifted out of the shorter formats, with his last one-day international coming at the 2023 World Cup and his most recent white-ball match of any kind coming in the Hundred in 2024. For Durham, the immediate gain is simple: their captain has returned to the red-ball game with wickets, overs and enough workload to sharpen the next selection debate.
