Australia offspinner Nathan Lyon had the better of his latest encounter with Ben Stokes as he took the wicket of the England Test captain in a County Championship match on Saturday.
Lyon has dismissed Stokes nine times in Tests but was left helpless when the star all-rounder struck a stunning 135 not out to guide England to a thrilling one-wicket win in a 2019 Ashes clash at Headingley.
It was a very different story, however, as Lyon — signed by Lancashire as an overseas player this season — bowled to 32-year-old Durham hero Stokes on Saturday’s second day of a First Division clash at Blackpool.
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In his first innings in two months, Stokes had made a sedate two off 16 balls when he played back to a Lyon delivery which gripped and turned to take his outside edge, with Tom Bruce holding a low catch at second slip.
Lyon, 36, finished with fine figures of 4/59 as Durham made 236, featuring South Africa batsman David Bedingham’s 101, in reply to Lancashire’s first-innings 357.
Stokes, aiming to operate as a genuine all-rounder with England once again this season following knee surgery, took a wicket in his first over of Lancashire’s second innings to remove Luke Wells following an encouraging first-innings return of 2-71.
But Lancashire reached stumps on 91-2, a lead of 212 runs, as they chased a first win of the season.
England are due to play six Tests — three against the West Indies and three against Sri Lanka — in their 2024 home season.
The first Test against the West Indies at Lord’s starts on July 10.
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