County Championship: How did Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson fare?
What's the story
Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson made a strong comeback in the County Championship after their recent exclusion from the England squad. The duo was dropped for breaking England's midnight curfew during an incident at a London nightclub involving an ECB security guard and a Saracens rugby player. Despite their earlier controversy, both players have shown promising performances in their respective matches.
Match details
Stokes returns with a wicket for Durham
Stokes, who was dropped along with Atkinson, returned to First-Class cricket with a wicket for Durham against Northamptonshire. He bowled 18 overs and took 1-60 on his return. However, Durham had a disappointing day as they dropped four catches. The England captain will be hoping to improve his performance in the upcoming matches after this initial outing.
Stellar performance
Atkinson shines for Surrey against Glamorgan
Atkinson, on the other hand, was in top form for Surrey. He claimed 2-33 in 15 overs with an impressive economy rate of 2.2 against Glamorgan. His stellar performance came mostly from a blistering eight-over opening spell where he bowled five maidens and gave up just eight runs. His side restricted Glamorgan to 244-6 after the first day's play, putting them in a strong position.
Upcoming challenges
Both players available for their counties
Stokes will be disappointed with missed chances after opener Ricardo Vasconcelos (181no) was dropped just four balls into the seamer's opening spell. Northants ended the day's play in a strong position at 388-6. Both Stokes and Atkinson have made themselves available for their counties following the nightclub incident, and are expected to make a return to the international setup for England's final Test of the series next week.