Ben Stokes marked his return to county cricket with a fluent 67 off 78 balls for Durham against Somerset at the County Ground, Taunton. The England Test captain, playing his first first-class match since March, struck eight fours and one six before being dismissed by Jack Leach.
Stokes Shines in Comeback
Stokes walked in with Durham at 45 for 2 and steadied the innings alongside David Bedingham (44). The pair added 89 runs for the third wicket. Stokes looked in fine touch, driving elegantly through the covers and pulling aggressively. He fell attempting to sweep Leach, caught at deep square leg.
Durham reached 276 for 6 at stumps, with Brydon Carse unbeaten on 52. For Somerset, Leach finished with 2 for 51, while Craig Overton took 2 for 62.
Warwickshire v Kent
At Edgbaston, Warwickshire made a strong start against Kent, reaching 312 for 4. Opener Alex Davies scored 119 off 148 balls, his first county hundred of the season. He shared a 167-run stand with Sam Hain (82 not out). Kent's bowlers toiled, with Grant Stewart taking 2 for 59.
Other Matches
In the other Division One match, Lancashire posted 298 for 7 against Hampshire at Old Trafford. Keaton Jennings made 91, while Liam Livingstone chipped in with 56. For Hampshire, Keith Barker took 3 for 67.
In Division Two, leaders Essex were bowled out for 226 by Gloucestershire at Bristol. Tom Westley top-scored with 68, but the visitors struggled against the spin of Zafar Gohar (4 for 54). Gloucestershire reached 134 for 3 in reply.
Worcestershire made 284 for 5 against Derbyshire at New Road, with Jake Libby scoring 102 not out. At Hove, Sussex were 211 for 6 against Leicestershire, with Tom Haines making 74.
