Ben Stokes wasted no time making his presence felt on his long-awaited return to cricket, taking a wicket with just his eighth delivery on the opening day of Durham's County Championship clash against Worcestershire at New Road.
The England captain, playing his first competitive match since January's Ashes disappointment in Australia, opened the bowling and struck early. From the second ball of his second over, he had Worcestershire opener Dan Lategan caught behind, sending a clear message that he was back in business.
But Stokes wasn't done there. After an hour-long rain delay, he returned to the attack and immediately breached the defence of Adam Hose, bowling the Worcestershire batter for a well-made 59. It was a moment that showcased the all-rounder's trademark aggression and precision.
Stokes bowled three spells across the truncated day—two of four overs and one of six—finishing with impressive figures of 2-40 from 14 overs. His efforts helped reduce Worcestershire to 52-4 before a recovery led by Hose and captain Brett D'Oliveira (41) pushed the hosts to 209-7 from 66 overs.
This comeback has been a long time coming for the 34-year-old. After England's 4-1 Ashes defeat, Stokes suffered a quad injury in the final Test. Then, during a coaching session with the Durham academy, he took a vicious blow to the face that resulted in a broken cheekbone and required what he described as "pretty major facial surgery." He admitted he felt "lucky" to still be alive.
Missing Durham's first four matches of the season while recovering, Stokes had long circled this trip to New Road as his return date. It's a fitting venue—his last match for Durham came here almost two years ago against the same opponents, and his first match after being named Test captain in 2022 also took place on this ground.
With fellow England international Matthew Potts rested after a heavy early-season workload, Stokes was called upon to take the new ball—just the fifth time he's done so in his first-class career. Looking lean and moving with a spring in his step, he showed exactly why he remains one of the most feared competitors in the game.
As England prepare for their first Test against New Zealand starting 4 June, Stokes' return to form and fitness is exactly the kind of boost fans—and their wardrobes—have been waiting for.