Ben Stokes will return to captain England for the series-deciding third Test against New Zealand at Trent Bridge with Gus Atkinson also back after both players missed the 253-run thumping at The Oval following a nightclub incident.
Stokes and Atkinson were made unavailable for the second Test following an episode in the early hours the day after England’s 115-run victory at Lord’s, with an investigation launched.
The ECB said on Sunday afternoon that “no blame should be attached to the players for violent conduct at the nightclub”, with Atkinson the “victim of an unproved attacks and did not retaliate”.
The pair broke a midnight curfew that had been introduced after drinking incidents plagued the team’s winter tours, including Harry Brook being punched by a nightclub bouncer in New Zealand.
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Sky Sports’ Stuart Broad says England’s heavy defeat to New Zealand will ‘pain’ Stokes, who missed the match after the nightclub incident
Stokes and Atkinson did play county cricket this week, for Durham and Surrey respectively, but were withdrawn from the final two days of their games ahead of their potential England comebacks.
Stokes smashed 95 off 118 balls against Northamptonshire, while Atkinson – who took a five-wicket haul for England against New Zealand at Lord’s – struck four times for Surrey against Glamorgan.
Joe Root captained England at The Oval, where Stokes and Atkinson’s absence from the bowling unit – as well that of Ollie Robinson (knee injury) – was keenly felt as a youthful attack toiled.
More to follow.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: skynews.com
