Ben Stokes Turns Back the Clock With Stunning Red-Ball Comeback
Ben Stokes made his comeback to red ball cricket in the County Championship. In his first ever game in the whites since his retirement, he decided to shine for Durham. Stokes went on to take 7 wickets for the team and even scored two half-centuries in the game.
A few weeks back, cricket fans were shocked when Ben Stokes announced his retirement from all formats of international cricket. But they were even more shocked when they saw Stokes being a part of Durham in the domestic games even after his retirement.
Recently, he made his return to red ball cricket after his international retirement. The County Championship Division Two has resumed and Stokes decided to take part in the same for Durham. This was also for the first time that the fans got to see Ben Stokes in the whites ever since he announced his retirement in the series against New Zealand.
And his performances in the game against Derbyshire came out to be tremendous. Stokes was able to score 53 runs in the first innings and 66* in the second innings. With the ball, he was able to take 2 wickets for the team in the first innings, followed by a five-wicket haul in the second innings.
Our Take
Ben Stokes seems to be giving statements with his performances to the ECB. The speculations around his retirement are still going all over the internet, which looked as if it was forced, following the nightclub controversy. Even after retiring from international cricket, Stokes has not completely left the game, as he continues to play for Durham in the domestic format. Right after his retirement, he played for Durham in One-Day Cup, and he is now a part of the team in the County Championship.