England captain Ben Stokes braced for Durham return

Having fully recovered from a knee problem, the allrounder has been named in the squad to face Worcestershire in the LV= Insurance County Championship

Ben Stokes will return to action for the first time since being named England Test captain after recovering from a knee problem.

The allrounder has been named in the 13-strong squad to face Worcestershire in the LV= Insurance County Championship starting on Thursday (May 5).

It will be Stokes' first competitive outing since the West Indies Test series, while he last featured for Durham in the Championship at Warwickshire last July - a game he eventually withdrew from.

He returned from the Caribbean with a knee issue but subsequent scans revealed no significant damage, keeping him on course for a scheduled return in early May.

Stokes' return is among a number of changes made by coach James Franklin from the draw with Sussex, with Olivier Gibson and George Drissell missing out.

Brydon Carse, who debuted for England last summer during the Pakistan ODI series that Stokes captained, is not yet fit to return from a knee problem.

The 26-year-old took another step towards full fitness for Durham against Derbyshire in the Second XI Championship at Repton School.

Stokes returns to a Durham side who are winless after four matches in Division Two, though they have suffered just one defeat to Nottinghamshire in round three.

Related Topics

• Ben Stokes moving to No.6 for England to balance batting and bowling demands
• Ben Stokes: I'm not trying to be Flintoff or Botham
• Durham openers dominate final day to secure Hove draw