Former England captain Ben Stokes is set to return to competitive cricket for Durham, less than a month after drawing the curtain on his international career. The star all-rounder has been named in Durham’s squad for Tuesday’s one-day cup clash against Derbyshire, his first appearance since retiring from England duty.
Ben Stokes’ return also coincides with the opening day of The Hundred, although the 35-year-old had already decided not to enter the player draft after announcing his retirement from international cricket. Instead, he will now focus on county cricket, with hopes of making more appearances for Durham later in the season.
Ben Stokes to return for Durham after retirement from England
Durham’s One-Day Cup clash against Derbyshire will be Ben Stokes’ first competitive fixture since retiring from England. It also represents a fresh start for the all-rounder, who admitted that his time with Durham helped him rediscover the joy of cricket after a tough final phase with the national team.
Stokes explained that while the move away from England was emotionally challenging, his brief return to county cricket reminded him why he fell in love with the game.
“Coming back to Durham, when I wasn’t playing the second Test, I got a new lease of life for the game, but unfortunately I couldn’t get that feeling back,” he was quoted as saying by the BBC.
The former England captain said his focus is now solely on enjoying this new phase of his career with the county where it all began.
“I’m really excited about the next part of what I get to do. In terms of playing for my boyhood club Durham, I’m comparing this week to that week – I’m on a buzz right now.”
Despite the excitement, Stokes admitted that the decision to retire was not an easy one.
“But there have been moments this week that have been really hard and it all adds up and makes it clear that I made the right decision.”
After the One-Day Cup, Ben Stokes is also expected to feature in County Championship cricket before the end of the domestic season.
When did Ben Stokes last play ODI cricket and 50 over cricket?
Ben Stokes has not played any 50-over cricket since England’s campaign in the 2023 ODI World Cup. His final ODI appearance came in England’s group-stage win against Pakistan at the Eden Gardens on 11 November 2023.
In that match, England scored 337/9 with the help of Ben Stokes’ brilliant 84 runs in 76 balls, while Joe Root contributed 60 and Jonny Bairstow contributed 59 runs. Pakistan were then bowled out for 244, with Adil Rashid taking 5 wickets, leading England to win by 93 runs.
His return to Durham would also end a remarkable 12-year wait for a domestic List A appearance with the county. He last represented Durham in 50-over cricket during their victorious 2014 One-Day Cup campaign. Stokes played a key role that season, scoring 164 in the semi-final, helping Durham lift the trophy.
His most recent domestic 50-over appearance came in New Zealand in 2017, when he played for Canterbury during the break from England cricket.
Ben Raine signs one-year extension with Durham
Durham received another big boost ahead of the One-Day Cup after experienced all-rounder Ben Raine extended his stay with the club by another year.
The new deal will keep him at Durham until at least the end of the 2028 season. Raine has been one of the county’s most reliable performers since returning from Leicestershire in 2019 and is closing in on 350 first-class wickets for Durham. He is also the club’s leading wicket-taker in T20 cricket and has scored over 4,500 first-class runs during his career.
After signing the extension, Rhines expressed his delight at remaining in his home county.
“I’m really pleased to be expanding with Durham and continuing my cricket in my home county. It’s great fun to play for Durham and I’m really enjoying my cricket at the moment, I’m really excited to move on and can’t wait for the next few years with this group.”
Durham head coach Ryan Campbell praised the veteran’s impact both on and off the field.
“It is fantastic news that Ben has signed an extension with us – committing to another year with his home county.”
“Everything about Ben Raine is what epitomizes Durham cricket and he has been integral to our success in both red and white ball cricket for as long as I have been at the club.”
“In addition to Ben’s consistent performances year after year on the field for Durham, his leadership within the changing room is excellent. We are all looking forward to seeing Ben play a key role across all formats in the years to come.”
