NEW DELHI: Just days after retiring from international cricket, Ben Stokes: shows he still has a lot left in the tank. Playing his first match as a former England cricketer, Stokes scored an unbeaten 108 to guide 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 is fighting cramp
Chasing 257, Durham were in trouble at 98/3 before Stokes anchored 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 struggling with 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 best bowler with 3/44.
Emotional goodbye
A few days before his century, Stokes announced his retirement from international cricket after England’s third Test against New Zealand.. Shortly after, he shared an emotional message with X, thanking everyone who has been a part of his journey.“It’s been a crazy 15 years. It’s had everything thrown in there, from the highest high to the lowest low (on and off the field). My time is over, and no one can make that decision but me. But in the meantime, I want to say that I love every single England fan and every single cricket fan who has supported me over the years.He also thanked his teammates and everyone who supported him throughout his career.“I love every single person that I have been on the field representing England. I could go on, but I hope you get the gist of how much I love doing what I do for 15 years. I look forward to being a fan and supporting the team, and the amazing day of hospitality will not be lost.Stokes ended his international career with 122 Tests, including 44 as captain, scoring more than 7,000 runs and taking 200 wickets. He also represented England in 114 ODIs and 43 T20Is.