Ben Stokes’ county comeback is set to be an all-action affair, with Durham considering unleashing the England captain as a new-ball strike bowler.
Stokes will make his first appearance since the Ashes against Worcestershire on Friday, his return to action having been delayed after a stray ball to the face left him needing reconstructive surgery.
The 34-year-old’s body had already been through the mill in recent times, missing last summer’s series decider against India with a shoulder complaint and hobbling through the final Test in Australia with a groin injury.
But he has been working hard in training and there will be no half measures when he lines up at New Road. Far from utilising the Test skipper as a specialist batter, Durham head coach Ryan Campbell has revealed he could be asked to lead the attack in the absence of the departed West Indian seamer Kemar Roach.
“He’ll be bowling for us, 100 per cent. In one of the innings he might even go with the new ball, that’s in our thinking,” Campbell told the Press Association.
“Our captain Alex Lees is really keen for Ben to have a crack at that, whether it’s one innings here or somewhere else, and we know a good spell from Ben could be a big weapon for us. We like to start with someone who can swing the ball and Ben obviously does that.
“We won’t expect him to bowl a million overs, it will be probably be around 20-25 overs for the game, but once he gets into the battle it’s hard to get him out of it.”
Stokes had a renaissance as a bowler last year, topping England’s wicket-taking charts with 33 at an average of 23.12, but has frequently resisted the notion that he should open for his country.
England have struggled to fill that position since James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes retired one by one. It proved a headache throughout the Ashes tour and finding a new ball specialist this summer is a top priority for the management.
Durham’s stance offers an intriguing chance to see Stokes take on the role but Campbell insists doing groundwork for the Test team is not his motivation.
“We’ve made it very clear, Stokesy is here as a member of our team to help win a game of cricket for Durham, not to get ready for England,” he said.
“I’m sure every England fan is delighted to see him back but we’re just happy to see one of our mates again. He holds himself to such high standards. He’ll be the first into fielding drills, throwing balls at people and hitting plenty himself.
“We’ve already spoken about Ben playing, how it brings more media and more eyes on a game. It adds another layer, not of stress but of responsibility to keep your own standards high. I’m really enjoying having him around.”
England’s white-ball captain, Harry Brook, is also set to make his first county appearance of the season in Yorkshire’s clash at Warwickshire.
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