London, July 21 (IANS) Playing his first competitive match since retiring from Test cricket, Ben Stokes defied severe cramps to score a fighting unbeaten century to help Durham beat Derbyshire in the One-Day Cup on Tuesday.

The all-rounder, who led England in the 50-over format, displayed all his usual grit as he battled repeated bouts of cramps to score 108 not out and helped his side chase a target of 257 and secure victory.

Stokes was playing his first List A game for his county in nearly 12 years and suffered cramps early in his knock, collapsing in pain as he reached his fifty.

Stokes could not weave magic with the ball as he went wicketless in his nine overs, as Derbyshire Falcons rode on Martin Andersson's well-paced century to post 256/9 in their 50 overs.

Durham were off to a poor start as Ben Aitchison's two early wickets pegged them back before Stokes came to their rescue. The former England captain got good support from Will Rhodes (45), Colin Ackermann and Ollie Robinson, as he hobbled past three figures to complete a stunning domestic return and seal a five-wicket win for his county.

The 35-year-old all-rounder, who surprised everyone with his retirement from international cricket during England's third Test against New Zealand, returned to domestic one-day cricket on the same day the new version of The Hundred started.

Stokes missed the second Test against New Zealand while an investigation took place into an incident at a London nightclub. During that time away from the England team, he played for Durham in the County Championship against Northamptonshire. He later admitted that this experience reignited his love for the game.

After his One-Day Cup return, Stokes could play again for Durham in the County Championship before the season ends.

His comeback lines up with the start of a new era for The Hundred, which is the first season since all eight franchises were sold to investors for around £520 million. This brought new branding, team identities, and higher player salaries. Stokes chose not to enter the player auction and had already agreed to represent Durham in the One-Day Cup before announcing his retirement from England duties.

Stokes has not played any 50-over cricket since England's 2023 ODI World Cup campaign, which also turned out to be his last limited-overs match for the country. Tuesday's game at Derbyshire will also mark his first domestic one-day match for Durham in 12 years.

His last 50-over appearance for Durham was in their winning 2014 One-Day Cup final against Warwickshire. Earlier that tournament, a then 23-year-old Stokes scored 164 in the semi-final against Nottinghamshire. His last domestic one-day match came while he was representing Canterbury in New Zealand in 2017, during the time he missed England's Ashes tour after the Bristol nightclub incident.

--IANS

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