Will Ben Stokes play in ENG vs NZ 3rd Test? England captain withdrawn from County game at ECB's request ahead of Trent Bridge Test

Will Ben Stokes play in ENG vs NZ 3rd Test? England captain withdrawn from County game at ECB’s request ahead of Trent Bridge Test originally appeared on Cricket News.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Ben Stokes was dropped from the ENG vs NZ 2nd Test.
• Stokes has been withdrawn from county games at the ECB’s request. 
• Stokes missed the second Test after the Chelsea nightclub incident.

Will Ben Stokes play in ENG vs NZ 3rd Test? England captain withdrawn from county game at ECB’s request

England Test captain Ben Stokes could return to the England team ahead of the third and final Test of the ongoing series against New Zealand at home.

Following the controversial incident at a Chelsea nightclub after England’s win in the first Test, Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were dropped from the England squad for the second Test at the Oval.

Subsequently, Stokes was included in the Durham side for the County Championship Division Two match against Northamptonshire.

The experienced all-rounder is currently in action in the County Championship match but he could be called back to the England team after he has been withdrawn from the Durham squad on the request of the ECB, according to the Daily Mail. 

England are currently in action in the second Test in the Oval, where they need 275 runs to win (at the time of writing this article) on the final day, while the visitors need four wickets to level the series.

As things stand, the Kiwis are likely to stage a comeback in the series, which will make the third and final Test at Trent Bridge a series-decider.

Stokes’ return could majorly boost the English side, who are hoping to win the third Test and seal the fate of the series.

MORE: India squad for England ODI series 2026

Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were embroiled in nightclub controversy

Ben Stokes and England cricket found themselves at the centre of another off-field controversy after the Test captain became embroiled in an incident at a London nightclub following England’s victory over New Zealand at Lord’s in the first match of the series.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had launched an investigation into the matter, with Stokes and teammate Gus Atkinson reportedly present when an altercation took place at a nightclub on Monday morning.

According to a report by The Telegraph, the incident came after a day of celebrations following England’s 115-run win in the first Test against New Zealand. 

Following the incident, the duo were dropped from the second Test match of the series, with Joe Root taking over the captaincy role from Stokes. 

MORE: ‘No drinking culture’: Root responds to possible alcohol ban on England team

England vs New Zealand Test series: Full schedule and fixtures

MatchStart dateVenueResult1st TestJune 4Lord’sEngland won by 115 runs2nd TestJune 17The OvalTBD3rd TestJune 25Trent BridgeTBD

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