Back scan lined up for Stokes

By Tim Wellock

Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes is hoping that the enforced rest during the four-day washout at the Oval will help his recovery from a back problem.

Although he says it is purely a precaution, Durham are trying to arrange a scan ahead of their visit to Edgbaston for the top v bottom clash in Division One. After suffering more than any other county, losing 51 per cent of their playing time to date, Durham are already 37 points adrift of Warwickshire.

They are at home to Somerset next week, when Stokes will be on England Lions duty and he hopes to be fully fit to face the West Indies at Northampton. He was unable to bowl after returning from his badly-dislocated finger last season because he couldn’t grip the ball properly.

The ECB sent him to the United States to have the problem sorted out and he began this season by taking four for three when Durham University were dismissed for 18, before picking up three wickets in each of the games against Nottinghamshire and Middlesex.

He would not have bowled against Surrey because of his back problem, but he said: “I’ve had stress reactions in my back before but this doesn’t feel like that. We’re taking a few precautions and I hope to be OK soon.

"It would be a setback if I couldn’t bowl for a while after I’d just got back into it. I work hard on all aspects of my game, but I know I need to improve my bowling.”


Date: 30/04/2012 16:33:45 by Tim Wellock
In: Today | Durham |