Ben Stokes hits unbeaten 108 as Durham beat Derbyshire by five wickets
Stokes struck an unbeaten 108 off 123 balls to lead Durham to a five-wicket win over Derbyshire in his first match since retiring from international cricket.
Ben Stokes hit an unbeaten 108 off 123 balls as Durham chased down 257 to beat Derbyshire by five wickets in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup. The former England captain returned to action less than a month after announcing his international retirement and struck ten boundaries and three sixes before cramp restricted him in the closing stages.
Martin Andersson top-scored for Derbyshire with 112 in their total of 256 for nine. Stokes bowled nine wicketless overs for 38 runs before coming to the crease at 24 for two in the ninth over of Durham's chase.
Three half-century partnerships followed. Stokes added 50 with Will Rhodes, 50 with Colin Ackermann and another 50 with Ollie Robinson before hitting the winning boundary off the first ball of the final over.
CricHubb Take
The timing matters — Stokes's hundred landed on the exact day counties begin naming their overseas signings for next year, and any side with a T20 contract still open now has fresh film to watch.