Ben Stokes is playing his first match for Durham for almost two years in the Rothesay County Championship, Division Two, at New Road, Worcester.

Worcestershire 308: Home 63*, Hose 59, D'Oliveira 41; Raine 5-63, Stokes 2-54

Durham 207-6: Bedingham 83, Clark 48*; Waite 2-28, Taylor 2-52

Durham (3 pts) trail Worcestershire (4 pts) by 101 runs with four wickets remaining.

Ben Stokes made only 14 in his first innings for five months on the second day of Durham's County Championship match at Worcestershire. Stokes, batting for the first time since the Ashes, played a loose poke to the 17th delivery he faced and was caught at second slip. It continued a dream day for Jack Home, a 20-year-old. In his third first-class match, the pace bowler followed up an unbeaten 63 batting at number 10 by dismissing Stokes with the first ball he bowled to the England captain. Home and debutant Harry Darley added 57 for the last wicket, taking Worcestershire to 308 all out.

Durham reached 207-6 in reply, thanks mainly to 83 from David Bedingham. England hopeful Emilio Gay was earlier dismissed for 28.

On this ground four years ago, in his first innings since being appointed England captain, Stokes demonstrated the aggression he wanted his team to adopt. He crashed 161 from only 88 deliveries, including 17 sixes. Five of them came in succession off one over from late Worcestershire spinner Josh Baker. But Stokes' batting has gradually shifted down the gears, both in response to his own mixed form and the plight of his England side.

In the 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia, Stokes' scoring almost ground to a halt as he attempted to demonstrate the "dog" he demanded from his team-mates. It was in contrast to the public words of head coach Brendon McCullum, who asked England to double down on the attacking intent.

On an idyllic Saturday at New Road, Stokes was simply looking for the rhythm of batting following the groin injury he suffered in the fifth Ashes Test and the broken cheek he sustained in an accident whilst coaching the Durham academy.

Carded to bat at seven, the all-rounder emerged at number five when Gay edged Tom Taylor behind. Stokes spent six balls on nought then moved off the mark with a nudge to fine leg off seamer Darley. There was an alarm when he inside-edged the experienced Taylor between his legs, but Stokes looked to be in to his work with two boundaries – a handsome drive straight off Darley and a fine tickle off Taylor.

But when Home replaced Darley, Stokes took no time to assess the youngster, highly rated at New Road as the paciest bowler on the staff. With no footwork, Stokes flirted at a back-of-a-length ball and offered the edge to Ethan Brookes, who took a smart tumbling catch.

As he builds up to England's first Test against New Zealand on 4 June, Stokes will get another chance to bat in the second innings of this match, then could play again for Durham against Kent next week.

Earlier on Saturday, Stokes bowled six overs without adding to his two wickets from the first day. He bowled three overs at the beginning of the morning session and three with the second new ball, taking his total for the innings to 20.

As Stokes' workload was managed, his absence from the attack was felt when Home and Darley – combined age of 41 and with two previous first-class matches between them – frustrated Durham with the 10th-wicket stand. Darley, 21, was obdurate in his support of Home. The number 11 faced 108 deliveries for his 12. Home played some wonderful shots, including a sweet cover drive off Stokes for four. His 106-ball stay included two sixes. Their stand delayed lunch and was eventually ended when Darley edged behind off Ben Raine, completing the Durham seamer's third five-wicket haul of the season.

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