England captain Ben Stokes trained with Durham on Saturday following his omission from the squad for the second Test against New Zealand.
The all-rounder was made unavailable for selection for the match at the Kia Oval which starts on Wednesday after breaching the team’s midnight curfew following victory in the first Test last weekend.
Stokes and team-mate Gus Atkinson became involved in an incident with a Saracens rugby player in a London nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning.
"Back on Duty"
Ben Stokes returns to practice for the first time since the Lord's Test match…@DurhamCricket v @DerbyshireCCC at Chester-le-Street… pic.twitter.com/XklP9HjrIV
— David Griffin Photography (@dgriffinpix) June 13, 2026
Atkinson has also been stood down while the matter is looked into by the England and Wales Cricket Board. An independent investigation is being conducted by the Cricket Regulator.
In the meantime, Stokes has returned to his county ground and practised at the Riverside during the second day of Durham’s County Championship Division Two match against Derbyshire.
The 35-year-old bowled in the middle before play and later batted in the nets.
The controversy involving Stokes and Atkinson came after a troubled winter tour of Australia overshadowed by off-field issues.
Former skipper Joe Root is to fill in as interim captain for the second Test.
The Sussex fast bowler has been selected as cover for Ollie Robinson, who is expected to undergo a precautionary knee scan this afternoon.
Robinson experienced soreness after a training session on Friday.
Wishing you all the best, Ollie 🙏
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) June 13, 2026
Henry Crocombe has, meanwhile, been called into the England squad as cover for Ollie Robinson.
The uncapped Sussex seamer has got the call after Robinson experienced knee soreness after a training session on Friday and is set to undergo a precautionary scan on Saturday afternoon.
Crocombe, 24, has recently impressed for England Lions, taking four wickets in the first innings of the unofficial Test against South Africa A at Beckenham in early May.
The vacancy in the fast-bowling department had arisen partly because of the absence of Stokes and Atkinson.
