Ben
Stokes

Biography

Ben Stokes’ prodigious talent was clear from an early age and, aged 18, he signed a two-year contract with Durham in December 2009.

Born in Christchurch and the son of New Zealand Rugby League international Ged, Stokes had been quietly developing in the Academy for some time. He had already made his one-day debut for Durham that summer, snaring Mark Ramprakash with his third legal delivery in senior cricket.

From there he enjoyed a productive time at the Under-19 World Cup, scoring a century against India, before registering a maiden 50 on his first-class debut for Durham in the pink-ball season opener against MCC.

Stokes enjoyed his first full season of Championship cricket, notching 740 runs at 46.25, but it was in 2011 that he really began to blossom, taking six for 68 and scoring a brilliant hundred against Hampshire in April. He registered his maiden limited-overs ton just over a month later, cracking 150 not out against Warwickshire in the Clydesdale Bank 40.

A broken finger hindered his bowling, but he played for England Lions and was selected for his first full squad to face Ireland in Dublin.

Stokes performed solidly in 2012, making 827 runs at 29.53 and taking 37 wickets at 21.47. He was called up to the England Lions squad for the tour of Australia in early 2013 before playing a key role in Durham's County Championship-winning season, winning Young Player of the Year by the Professional Cricketers' Association and the Cricket Writers' Club Young Cricketer of the Year prizes respectively.

Playing as a third seamer in the ODIs against Australia in the summer, Stokes took a maiden five-wicket haul and won selection for the 2013-14 Ashes tour, where he was arguably England's most outstanding performer. He made his maiden Test century - and England's first of the tour - in just his second appearance at that level.