England’s Ben Stokes will step up his injury comeback by playing as a batsman for Durham

Comeback trail: Stokes injured his knee during the first Test against Sri Lanka
Tom Collomosse24 June 2016

Ben Stokes is due to step up his England comeback by playing as a batsman for Durham tonight.

The all-rounder has not played since injuring his knee during the First Investec Test against Sri Lanka at Headingley last month but is making a good recovery and could even play in the series opener against Pakistan at Lord’s, starting on July 14.

While England have yet to reveal when Stokes may return to bowling, the selectors will be hugely encouraged that he is ready to play for his county in the NatWest T20 Blast fixture against Yorkshire.

Stokes had initially been due to play league cricket for Newcastle CC tomorrow but he has proved he is ready to play at a higher standard.

He is key to the balance of England’s team and while they would like him to return quickly, they are mindful of the risks of rushing him back — especially as the 25-year-old is desperate to play again.

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