Ben Stokes: English all-rounder returns to first-class cricket in Warwickshire vs Durham County Championship 2021 match

Ben Stokes: The English all-rounder represented his club side in first-class cricket for the first time in three years today.

During the second day of the ongoing Group 1 County Championship 2021 match between Warwickshire and Durham in Birmingham, England all-rounder Ben Stokes returned to the first-class format for Durham after three years.

Having last played a first-class match during the tour of India earlier this year, this is Stokes’ first match in the format after he fractured his left index finger during his Indian Premier League 2021 stint for Rajasthan Royals.

Since recovering from the injury, Stokes has played six matches for Durham in T20 Blast 2021. In what didn’t turn out to be a fruitful stint by his standards, Stokes scored 103 runs at an average and strike rate of 17.16 and 117.04 respectively.

With the ball in hand, Stokes had dismissed eight batsmen at an average of 21.12, an economy rate of 8.89 and a strike rate of 14.2.

ALSO WATCH: Ben Stokes grabs outstanding running catch on Durham return in T20 Blast

In the ongoing match, Stokes was introduced into the attack by Durham captain Scott Borthwick in the 14th over. Having leaked 16 runs in his first three-over spell, Stokes gave away another 13 runs in his second three-over spell.

At the time of writing this story, Stokes is bowling the sixth over of his third spell. Standing tall on his wicket-taking ability, Stokes has put an end to a 72-run partnership for the third wicket between Robert Yates and Sam Hain (30) by dismissing the latter.

Earlier, it was Borthwick who had won the toss and invited the home team to bat first at Edgbaston. Yates’ fourth first-class century has kept the hosts’s innings together as the southpaw has now been joined by captain Will Rhodes.

Ben Stokes returns to first-class cricket in Warwickshire vs Durham County Championship match

Ben Stokes at Edgbaston having his first red-ball trundle since the India tour. Nearly struck first up too… pic.twitter.com/ca3UV1KHKe

— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) July 5, 2021

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About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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