Stokes on track for County Championship return next month

England all-rounder Ben Stokes is on course to return to action in the County Championship next month following a scan on a left knee problem he struggled with during last month's tour of the West Indies.

The 2022 County Championship began on April 7 and Stokes, who plays for Durham, had said this week that he was unable to make plans on playing for them until the results of his scan were out.

"Ben had a scan on his left knee which didn't reveal anything new," Sky Sports quoted the England and Wales Cricket Board as saying in a statement.

"We had planned for him to return to... County Championship cricket in early May and while he is feeling tender in the knee, that plan remains the same following the scan.

"We'll continue to manage him in conjunction with Durham."

England, who were beaten 1-0 by the West Indies, host New Zealand in a three-test series in June.

(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Toby Davis)