New Delhi, July 15 (IANS) Former England captain Ben Stokes is set to make his competitive return to cricket when he turns out for Durham against Derbyshire in the opening round of the One-Day Cup, marking his first appearance since retiring from international cricket last month.

The 35-year-old all-rounder, who surprised everyone with his retirement from international cricket during England’s third Test against New Zealand, will return to domestic one-day cricket on the same day the new version of The Hundred starts.

Stokes missed the second Test against New Zealand while an investigation took place into an incident at a London nightclub. During that time away from the England team, he played for Durham in the County Championship against Northamptonshire. He later admitted that this experience reignited his love for the game.

“Being back at Durham, when I wasn’t playing in the second Test, I found a new lease of life for the game, but unfortunately I just couldn’t get that feeling back,” Stokes said in a quote from BBC Sport.

“I’m very excited about the next part of what I get to do. Going back to play for my boyhood club Durham, I’m comparing this week to that week—right now I am buzzing.

“But there have been moments this week that have been really tough. It just adds to everything and makes it clear that I’ve made the right decision,” he added.

After his One-Day Cup return, Stokes could play again for Durham in the County Championship before the season ends.

His comeback lines up with the start of a new era for The Hundred, which is the first season since all eight franchises were sold to investors for around £520 million. This brought new branding, team identities, and higher player salaries. Stokes chose not to enter the player auction and had already agreed to represent Durham in the One-Day Cup before announcing his retirement from England duties.

Depending on Durham’s schedule, one of England’s top cricket stars could be seen playing at smaller county venues. Home games are set for South Northumberland Cricket Club in Gosforth and Darlington CC, while an away match against Yorkshire will take place at York CC.

Stokes has not played any 50-over cricket since England’s 2023 ODI World Cup campaign, which also turned out to be his last limited-overs match for the country. Tuesday’s game at Derbyshire will also mark his first domestic one-day match for Durham in 12 years.

His last 50-over appearance for Durham was in their winning 2014 One-Day Cup final against Warwickshire. Earlier that tournament, a then 23-year-old Stokes scored 164 in the semi-final against Nottinghamshire. His last domestic one-day match came while he was representing Canterbury in New Zealand in 2017, during the time he missed England’s Ashes tour after the Bristol nightclub incident.

–IANS

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