Thank heavens Ben Stokes will be back to lead England at Trent Bridge because it appeared Joe Root had learned nothing from his last stint as England captain.

Ben Stokes looked his fluent best, scoring 95 off just 118 balls for Durham against Northants in a County Championship Division Two game.

English cricket is back in a mess. Having just dealt with a shambolic Ashes tour featuring reports of excessive drinking and unprofessionalism, the England and Wales Cricket Board is fighting another fire just one week into the international summer.

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Englands battering at The Oval was perhaps to be expected after damaging build-up and an inexperienced side taking the field - but there remains intrigue over what returning Ben Stokes will say ahead of tantalising final Test against New Zealand,

Steve Harmison isn’t happy with Sir Ian Botham’s comments about Ben Stokes ahead of the England Test captain’s return to action. Stokes was left out of the squad for the second