Ben Stokes returns to County Championship cricket for Durham after being stood down for England’s second Test against New Zealand. According to reports from the Belfast Telegraph and The Independent, Stokes is present at the Riverside and takes part in the match following his Test-related absence. Multiple outlets note that Stokes does not take an early breakthrough: he is made to wait for his first wicket, with the opening phase producing no immediate result from his bowling.
The Independent also reports that Stokes is greeted with a warm reception from a sparse crowd, indicating a low-attendance setting at the ground. Belfast Telegraph likewise frames the action around his first wicket not arriving right away, describing his return in terms of delayed impact rather than immediate success. Overall, the coverage aligns on the central points of Stokes’s return to county cricket, his standing down from the second Test, and the fact that he does not secure a first wicket early in his spell.
