Former England Test captain Ben Stokes returned to domestic cricket with an unbeaten century for Durham to help them secure a win against Derbyshire in the opening game of the 2026 One Day Cup. This was the left-hander's first innings back after retiring from international cricket towards the end of the New Zealand series. 

Stokes did hint he would continue playing domestic cricket for Durham after his retirement and took the field at the County Ground in Derby on Tuesday, July 21, in front of a modest audience.

Durham were put into bowl in the first innings with Stokes giving nine overs to his side, whilst conceding just 38 runs. However, it was his innings with the bat that caught the eye. Chasing 257, the former England skipper walked out at number four with his side reeling at 24 for 2, having lost opener Alex Lees. 

Stokes patiently started his innings but quickly got into his groove. The talismanic batter would eventually end up with an unbeaten 108 off 123 deliveries to help his side secure a five-wicket win. Hitting 10 fours and three sixes, including two against his former England teammate Shoaib Bashir, the left-hander struck at 87.80 to chase down the total in the final over.

Stokes played his first List A game for Durham since representing the northern county in the 2014 One Day Cup final at Lord's, which they happened to win. The all-rounder was named Player of the Match for his two-wicket haul and an unbeaten 38 in a low-scoring affair. 

Stokes' century against Derbyshire was his 10th time passing triple digits in his List A career, his first since hitting 108 off 84 balls against the Netherlands during the 2023 Cricket World Cup. 

However, it was the left-handed batter's first List A century for Durham in nearly 12 years. He scored his last hundred for the county against Nottinghamshire in August 2014, scoring 103 at Chester-le-Street.