Ben Stokes will play for Durham in their County Championship match against Northamptonshire starting Friday, just days after being dropped from England's second Test against New Zealand. The England captain missed the Lord's Test after breaching a midnight curfew alongside seamer Gus Atkinson, an incident that escalated when an ECB security staff member was struck by a Saracens rugby player in a nightclub.

Durham head coach Ryan Campbell confirmed Stokes contacted him directly, expressing his desire to play cricket again. Campbell revealed Stokes features in the starting XI and will likely bowl or bat in the middle order, though they're still deciding whether he'll open the bowling attack. The 35-year-old all-rounder hasn't commented publicly on his England absence, leaving his captaincy future uncertain.

Joe Root spoke publicly about his conversation with Stokes, noting his friend feels he let himself down but appears to be in a good place mentally. Root emphasized that while mistakes were made, they don't reflect the England dressing room culture, and stressed the team works incredibly hard under high-pressure conditions.

Campbell defended Stokes as a modern-day great, arguing his contributions to English cricket outweigh recent disciplinary issues. Stokes now turns out for Durham seeking to rediscover his best form ahead of the third Test at Trent Bridge, where England will look to build on their 115-run victory in the series opener.