Ben Stokes marked his return to competitive cricket, his first appearance since retiring from international matches, with a century for Durham against Derbyshire in the One-Day Cup. The former England captain scored 161 runs.
Despite the opening day of The Hundred competition taking place simultaneously, Stokes' return attracted a significant crowd at the County Ground. He also bowled nine overs, taking no wickets for 38 runs.
Stokes batted at number four, coming to the crease after openers were dismissed early. He began his innings cautiously before accelerating. He neared his half-century and was observed to be experiencing cramp as he approached the milestone, which he reached in 71 balls. During his innings, he received treatment from the team physio for cramp.
Stokes built substantial partnerships with teammates, contributing 74 runs with Liam Trevaskis, 66 with Bas de Leede (who scored 28), 52 with Luke Robinson (23), and 41 with captain Kasey Aldridge (23). These collaborations were instrumental in breaking the back of the run chase. His performance mirrored the determined character often displayed in his international career for England.
Derbyshire had set a target of 256-9, with an individual century from Harry Andersson being a key contribution. Andersson and Brooke Guest had initially raised hopes of a total exceeding 300. Guest was dismissed for 48, after which a steady stream of wickets fell, preventing Derbyshire from reaching a higher score as Andersson ran out of partners.