LONDON : The match at Derby will mark a significant new chapter for the 35-year-old all-rounder, who stepped away from England duty during the third Test against New Zealand last month after admitting he had developed “negative feelings” around playing for the national team.

Stokes had earlier missed the second Test while an investigation was underway into an incident at a London nightclub. During his time away from the England set-up, he featured for Durham in a County Championship match against Northamptonshire, a return he said helped rekindle his love for the game.

“Being back at Durham, when I wasn’t playing in the second Test, I found a new lease of life for the game, but unfortunately I just couldn’t get that feeling back,” Stokes said.

Stokes’ appearance comes on the same day as the launch of the revamped version of The Hundred, creating a notable clash in the English cricket calendar. This season marks the first since stakes in the eight Hundred franchises were sold to investors for about £520 million, leading to new team names, branding and improved player earnings.

However, Stokes did not enter The Hundred auction and had already been scheduled to play for Durham in the One-Day Cup before announcing his international retirement.

His return could see one of England’s most high-profile cricketers playing at smaller domestic venues, with Durham scheduled to host matches at South Northumberland Cricket Club in Gosforth and Darlington Cricket Club, while their away fixture against Yorkshire will be played at York Cricket Club.

The Derbyshire match will also be Stokes’ first 50-over appearance since the 2023 World Cup, which was his final limited-overs outing for England. It will be his first domestic one-day fixture for Durham in 12 years.

His last 50-over match for Durham came in the 2014 One-Day Cup final, when Durham defeated Warwickshire. Earlier in that campaign, a then 23-year-old Stokes scored a brilliant 164 in the semi-final victory over Nottinghamshire.

Stokes’ most recent domestic 50-over appearance anywhere came in 2017, when he played for Canterbury in New Zealand during the period he missed England’s Ashes tour of Australia following an incident outside a Bristol nightclub.

Following Stokes’ international retirement, Brendon McCullum has also been sacked as England Test coach. McCullum said he had received “nice messages” from Stokes since the announcement.

After the One-Day Cup, Stokes could also feature again for Durham in the County Championship before the end of the season.

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