3 hours ago Rothesay County Championship, Division Two, Banks Homes Riverside (day two)
Northamptonshire 450: Vasconcelos 187; Raine 3-63
Durham 183-3: Stokes 95 (118), Rhodes 58*; Conway 2-23, Sanderson 2-64
Ben Stokes made 95 for Durham against Northamptonshire arsenic England slipped towards decision by New Zealand astatine The Oval.
The England captain, absent from the 2nd Test having been made unavailable pending an probe into an incidental successful a London nightclub, was bowled 5 runs abbreviated of a period by seamer Harry Conway conscionable aft beverage astatine Chester-le-Street.
It would person been Stokes' archetypal period successful first-class cricket since hitting 141 against India successful the 4th Test successful July 2025, which was his archetypal successful Tests since August 2022.
His 118-ball knock, which featured 18 fours, was inactive a invited instrumentality to signifier for the all-rounder with the bat.
Since Stokes' ton against India astatine Old Trafford, helium had scored lone 350 runs successful 9 first-class matches astatine an mean of 25, anterior to facing Northants.
Batting astatine fig five, Stokes came to the mediate with Durham 30-3 connected time two, successful reply to their opponents' 450 each out.
The 35-year-old enactment connected a 153-run fourth-wicket concern with Will Rhodes.
Stokes was dismissed conscionable aft stand-in skipper Joe Root and Harry Brook took England past 100-3, chasing an improbable 463 to bushed New Zealand successful the 2nd Test.
Stokes and gait bowler Gus Atkinson are nether probe for their portion successful an incident successful a London venue aft England's first-Test victory, erstwhile they broke the team's midnight curfew.
It is understood the process is progressing to a point wherever a way for the brace to travel backmost is cleared, though an authoritative announcement whitethorn not get until the decision of the 2nd Test.
While each outcomes stay possible, determination is simply a increasing likelihood Stokes is backmost to pb England for the 3rd and last Test astatine Trent Bridge, which starts connected Thursday.
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