New Delhi: A few days after taking a break from international cricket, Ben Stokes showed he still has a lot in the tank. Playing his first match as a former England international, Stokes scored an unbeaten 108 to lead Durham to a five-wicket win over Derbyshire in the One-Day Cup at Derby.The century came in Stokes’ first 50-over match for Durham in 12 years. Before losing the match, he bowled another nine overs, finishing with figures of 0/38.
Stokes struggles with tension
Chasing 257, Durham were in trouble at 98/3 before Stokes completed the innings with an unbeaten 108 off 123 balls. His knock included 10 fours and three sixes as Durham reached 257/5 in 49.1 overs, winning with five balls to spare.Despite suffering from cramp for most of his innings, Stokes stayed on till the end to complete his century and take Durham home.Kasey Aldridge remained unbeaten on 23, while Will Rhodes scored 45 and Colin Ackermann added 28.Earlier, Derbyshire posted 256/9 in 50 overs. Martin Andersson top scored with 112, while Brooke Guest made 48. Luke Robinson was Durham’s top scorer with 3/44.
An emotional goodbye
Days before his century, Stokes announced his retirement from international cricket following England’s third Test against New Zealand.. Soon after, he shared an emotional message on X, thanking everyone who was a part of his journey.“It’s been a crazy 15 years. Everything was thrown into it, from the highest level to the lowest level (on and off the field). My time was up, and no one could have made that decision except me. But for now, I just want to say that I love every England fan and every cricket fan who has supported me over the years,” Stokes wrote to me.He also thanked his teammates and all those who support him throughout his career.“I love every person I have walked on the field with and represented England. I could go on and on, but I hope you understand how much I loved doing what I did for 15 years. I look forward to being a fan and supporting the team, and the odd day in hospitality can’t go wrong. Family, friends, colleagues, fans,” Stokey added…Stokes finished his international career with 122 Tests, including 44 as captain, scoring over 7,000 runs and taking 200 wickets. He also represented England in 114 ODIs and 43 T20Is.
