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England captain Ben Stokes takes 2 wickets and completes 20 overs for Durham on injury comeback
TL;DR
England captain Ben Stokes made a successful injury comeback by taking 2 wickets and completing 20 overs for Durham. This marks his first appearance since breaking his cheekbone in February.
Key points
- Ben Stokes took 2 wickets and bowled 20 overs for Durham
- This was his first match since breaking his cheekbone in February
- Stokes' performance is promising ahead of a busy summer for England
Mentioned in this story
Ben Stokes
DurhamEnglandNew Zealand Test Series
Stokes Injury Cricket
FILE - England's Ben Stokes signs his autograph for a fan following the fifth and final Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Sydney, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Baker, File)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Stokes Injury Cricket
FILE - England's Ben Stokes signs his autograph for a fan following the fifth and final Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Sydney, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Baker, File)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Cricket England-Stokes
FILE -England coach Brendon McCullum, left, talks with captain Ben Stokes ahead of play on day two of the second cricket test between New Zealand and England at the Basin Reserve in Wellington, New Zealand, Dec.7, 2024. (Kerry Marshall/Photosport via AP, File) (ASSOCIATED PRESS) WORCESTER, England (AP) ā England captain Ben Stokes took two wickets and completed 20 overs for Durham on Saturday in a successful comeback from in February. Stokes finished with economical figures of 2-54 against Worcestershire in a second-tier county championship game. It was his first outing in any cricket format since the fifth and final Ashes test against Australia in early January. Stokes needed an operation after being struck in the face by a cricket ball while coaching his county team Durhamās academy players. He said last month during an in-house interview with the England and Wales Cricket Board that he . That Stokes opened the bowling for Durham and showed both pace and his trademark seam movement is good news for England heading into a busy summer of test cricket. The 34-year-old allrounder may even be an option to open the attack in the first test against New Zealand at Lordās on June 4. He has done so twice before, but not since 2022 against Pakistan. England is looking to bounce back from a in Australia and must win back the trust of fans, following an Ashes tour where and the leadership of coach Brendon McCullum and managing director Rob Key were . The three-test series against New Zealand is followed by three tests against Pakistan, starting at Headingley in the northern city of Leeds on Aug. 19. \\_ AP cricket:
Q&A
What injury did Ben Stokes recover from?
Ben Stokes recovered from a broken cheekbone that required surgery after being struck by a cricket ball.
How did Ben Stokes perform in his comeback match?
In his comeback match for Durham, Ben Stokes took 2 wickets for 54 runs and completed 20 overs.
When is Ben Stokes' next potential match for England?
Ben Stokes may play in the first test against New Zealand at Lordās on June 4.