Ben Stokes

A swashbuckling left-handed batsman and developing seamer, Stokes’ future looks bright.

Stokes was selected for the England Under-19 squad to tour South Africa in January and February 2009 without having made a senior appearance for Durham.

He was not involved in their defence of the LV= County Championship title, but did make three NatWest Pro40 appearances in 2009 before being selected for England U19s on their tour to Bangladesh in October that year.

He was subsequently included in the age-group World Cup squad - he hit 100 off 88 balls against India - and his promise earned him a two-year professional deal with Durham.

Although 2010 proved to be a forgettable year for the county, Stokes enjoyed an impressive breakthrough season, scoring 798 first-class runs at an average of 44.

He was called into the England Performance Programme squad for the winter tour to Australia.

In 2011, Stokes continued his progress with an outstanding start to the season, scoring four hundreds and impressing with the ball, before a dislocated finger ruled him out of action for eight weeks.

On his return, he played for England Lions against Sri Lanka A and went on to make his full England debut in the ODI victory over Ireland in August, with his Twenty20 bow versus West Indies following the next month after he had featured in four more ODIs versus India.

Surgery on his right index finger sidelined him that winter, but Stokes remained an integral part of the EPP set-up.