Stokes and Wood set for Durham comebacks

Ben Stokes and Mark Wood are both set to return to competitive cricket in the coming days as they continue their rehabilitation from surgery.

Stokes, who was forced off the pitch during the first Investec Test against Sri Lanka in Leeds and subsequently underwent knee surgery, will play as a specialist batsman in Durham's NatWest T20 Blast match against Yorkshire tonight. He is expected to field throughout.

He was given special dispensation by the ECB to come on as a substitute fielder on the final day of Durham's Championship game against Yorkshire on Thursday and soon took a slip catch to dismiss former England teammate Adam Lyth.

He will not, though, now play club cricket this weekend. Given a choice of whether to play in the T20 on Friday or the club game on Saturday, he elected for the Durham match.

Stokes has not yet returned to bowling so the ECB are reluctant to put a date on his likely return. They remain hopeful, however, that it will be in July.

Wood, meanwhile, has not played since the end of October when he represented England in the Test against Pakistan in the UAE. He has, since then, undergone two bouts of ankle surgery.

But he will play as a specialist batsman for Durham in the four-day match against Sri Lanka A that starts on Sunday and will work on his bowling during the intervals. He also came on as a substitute fielder on the final day of the Championship match against Yorkshire.

If all goes to plan, it is hoped that Wood will make his full return in the County Championship fixture against Lancashire in Southport that starts on July 16.