Ben Stokes struck eight balls in Durham’s comeback in Worcestershire

Ben Stokes needed just eight to take a wicket in his first action since England’s disappointing Ashes tour on the first day of Durham’s County Championship in Worcestershire.

Opening the bowling, the England captain caught Worcestershire opener Dan Lategan off the second ball of his second over.

Later, with his first delivery after an hour’s rain break, Stokes drove through the defense of a bowled Adam Hose for 59.

Playing for the first time since the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney in January, Stokes bowled two four-over spells and one in six – either side of the second rain-stopped end of the day.

Overall, the all-rounder finished with figures of 2-40 from his 14 overs as Worcestershire reached 209-7 from a possible 66 overs.

It represented a recovery from 52-4 thanks to 41 from Hoes and skipper Brett D’Oliveira.

Stokes suffered a quad injury in England’s 4-1 loss to Australia in the last Test.

Back in the UK, the 34-year-old suffered a horrific broken cheek after being hit by a ball while coaching at Durham Academy.

He needed what he described as “a lot of facial surgery” and said he felt “lucky” to still be alive.

Stokes missed Durham’s first four matches of the season as he recovered and has long earmarked the trip to New Road as his first action of the season ahead of England’s first Test against New Zealand starting on 4 June.

Stokes’ last match for Durham came against the same opposition almost two years ago, while his first match since becoming Test captain in 2022 also took place at this ground.

On this occasion, rested after a heavy early-season workload with fellow England international Matthew Potts, Stokes had to take the new ball for just the fifth time in his first-class career.

Lean and showing spring with his approach at the crease, Stokes bowled with immediate pace and bounce from an encouraging surface.

Two balls into his second over, Stokes lured the left-hander Lategan into a push outside the off-stump, taking a healthy edge from wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson.