Ben Stokes hits match-winning century for Durham after England retirement
Former England captain Ben Stokes has hit a match-winning 108 in his first appearance for Durham since announcing his international retirement.
The dynamic all-rounder struck an unbeaten century from 123 balls to guide his county to a five-wicket victory over Derbyshire in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.
His sensational innings featured 10 boundaries and three sixes as the hosts successfully chased down a challenging target of 257.
Rescuing the run chase
The decorated talisman arrived at the crease with his side in deep trouble at 24-2 during the ninth over of their reply.
He methodically rebuilt the innings by anchoring crucial 50-run stands alongside Will Rhodes, Colin Ackermann and Ollie Robinson.
The left-handed batter eventually reached his hundred off 116 deliveries before sealing the win on the very first ball of the final over.
It marks his 10th career List A century and his first in domestic limited-overs cricket for the north-east county since 2014.
Life after international duty
This stunning return to county action comes less than a month after the legendary cricketer walked away from the highest level of the sport.
He officially stepped down from England duty in June following a series-ending Test defeat to New Zealand at Trent Bridge.
Earlier in the day, Martin Andersson top-scored for the visitors with 112 as they posted a competitive total of 256-9 after electing to bat first.
While he dominated with the bat, the former national skipper went wicketless during his nine overs with the ball, conceding 38 runs.
England off-spinner Shoaib Bashir also featured for the opposition, taking a solitary wicket for 56 runs across his full allocation of 10 overs.