NEW DELHI: A few days after retiring from international cricket, Ben Stokes showed that he still has a lot in the tank. Playing his first match as a former England cricketer, Stokes scored an unbeaten 108 to lead Durham to a five-wicket victory over Derbyshire in the One-Day Cup at Derby.The century came in Stokes’ first 50-over match for Durham in 12 years. Before his match-winning knock, he also bowled nine economical overs, finishing with figures of 0/38.
Stokes fights off cramps
Chasing 257, Durham were struggling at 98/3 before Stokes anchored the innings with an unbeaten 108 from 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 struggling with cramp for most of his innings, Stokes hung 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.First, Derbyshire posted 256/9 in 50 overs. Martin Andersson top scored with 112, while Brooke Guest made 48. Luke Robinson was Durham’s best bowler with 3/44.
Emotional goodbye
A few days before his century, Stokes had announced his retirement from international cricket after England’s third Test against New Zealand. Shortly after, he shared an emotional message on X, thanking everyone who had been a part of his journey.“It’s been a crazy 15 years. It’s all happened here, from the highs to the lows (on the field and off the field). My time was over, and no one will be able to make this decision other than me. But in the meantime, I just want to say that I love every England fan and every cricket fan who has supported me over the years,” Stokes wrote over the years.He also thanked his teammates and everyone who supported him throughout his career.“I love every person I went to the field with representing England. I can go on and on, but I hope you get the essence of 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 the hospitality will not go bad.Stokes finished his international career with 122 Tests, including 44 as captain, scoring more than 7,000 runs and taking more than 200 wickets. He has also represented England in 114 ODIs and 43 T20Is.
