Ben Stokes withdrawn from Durham's Championship clash with Northants

The England captain was selected by his county after he was handed a one-match suspension from Test cricket for breaking a team curfew along with fast bowler Gus Atkinson earlier this month.

The pair were left out of the ongoing second Test against New Zealand at the Oval, but both played for their counties, with Stokes hitting 95 out of Durham's 302 for seven against Northants on Saturday.

But he will now not feature in the final two days of the fixture, with Colin Ackermann being brought in as a replacement.

Durham issued a short statement on Sunday morning that read: "Ben Stokes has been withdrawn from the remainder of Durham’s County Championship match against Northamptonshire at the request of the ECB.

"Colin Ackermann will replace Stokes in the Durham 11."

Atkinson has also been withdrawn from Surrey's clash with Glamorgan, with the likelihood being that both players will be involved when England take on the Kiwis in the third and final Test at Trent Bridge that starts on Thursday.

Northants go into Sunday's third day of the clash of the division’s top two at Chester-Le-Street in a strong position.

The County made 450 all out in their first innings, with Ricardo Vasconcelos hitting 187, and had then reduced Durham to 302 for seven, with Ben Sanderson takin four for 81 and Harry Conway three for 47.

It was the Australian who dismissed Stokes after he hit 18 fours in making 95 from 118 balls.

Stokes also bowled 25 overs in the Northants innings, taking one for 80.