Ben Stokes reminded the cricketing world why he remains one of the game’s greatest competitors, producing a remarkable unbeaten century on his return to domestic one-day cricket. Battling severe cramps and visible discomfort throughout his innings, the England all-rounder guided Durham to a thrilling five-wicket victory over Derbyshire in their opening match of the 2026 One-Day Cup on Tuesday.
The 35-year-old, playing his first competitive match since announcing his retirement from Test cricket and his first List A game for Durham in nearly 12 years, delivered a captain’s performance under pressure. Chasing a competitive target of 257, Durham found themselves in trouble early after Ben Aitchison struck twice with the new ball. However, Stokes took complete control of the chase, finishing unbeaten on 108 to seal an emotional comeback victory.
Earlier in the day, Derbyshire posted 256/9 after Martin Andersson anchored the innings with a composed century. Stokes contributed with the ball but endured a quiet spell, returning figures of 0/56 from his nine overs. While he couldn’t make an impact as a bowler, he more than compensated with the bat when his side needed him the most. Durham’s chase looked in danger before Stokes steadied the innings with a crucial partnership alongside Will Rhodes, who added a valuable 45 runs.
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Colin Ackermann and Ollie Robinson then provided useful support as Stokes continued to battle both the opposition and his own body. The veteran all-rounder suffered repeated bouts of painful cramps and even collapsed shortly after reaching his half-century. Despite struggling to run between the wickets, he refused to retire hurt, brought up his century in determined fashion, and remained unbeaten to carry Durham across the finish line.
Stokes’ inspiring knock came only days after his unexpected decision to step away from international Test cricket during England’s third Test against New Zealand. Having opted out of The Hundred player auction earlier this year, he had already committed to representing Durham in the One-Day Cup and has now made an immediate impact.
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His return follows a challenging few weeks, having missed the second Test against New Zealand while an investigation into an incident at a London nightclub was underway. During that period away from international duty, Stokes featured for Durham in the County Championship against Northamptonshire, later admitting that the experience reignited his love for the game.
Tuesday’s fixture also marked Stokes’ first 50-over appearance since England’s disappointing 2023 ODI World Cup campaign, which ultimately became his final limited-overs outing for the national team. His latest century served as a reminder that, despite stepping away from international cricket, he remains a match-winner at the domestic level.
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With the domestic season entering its final phase, Stokes is expected to feature again for Durham in the County Championship. His previous List A appearance for the county came in the victorious 2014 One-Day Cup final against Warwickshire, while his last domestic one-day outing before this week was for Canterbury in New Zealand in 2017. Judging by this stunning comeback, Ben Stokes still has plenty left to offer the game.
