Why Stokes's consistent return will excite England

When it comes to Ben Stokes, numbers have never really told the story.

Even a cursory look at his Test stats would not instantly suggest that he is the legendary cricketer that we all know and love.

To understand what makes Stokes unique, you have to look past his raw numbers.

That ability to step up to the plate and change into whatever his side needs him to be, often when a situation is at its most desperate.

This was not one of those days in Blackpool on the opening day of the County Championship between Durham and Lancashire.

It wasn't required.

The England Test captain made his first outing in two months without being called for a Stokes special.

The all-rounder finished the day with 17 overs at 2-70.

Everything is quite ordinary. And that will work perfectly for England.

Over the past few years, a knee ailment has severely hindered Stokes' ability to bowl; therefore, Brendon McCullum would have been happy to see him run unimpeded during his fourth period of the day.

When Stokes underwent knee surgery over the winter, this was the hope. During England's tour to India, he recovered in time to play all five Tests, but he only bowled five overs in the entire series, all in the last Test.

To concentrate on getting fitter and making sure he can once again be a dependable bowling option for the Test team, he has chosen to skip the T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the USA next month.

England will need Stokes with James Anderson expected to take over after the first Test of the summer and Stuart Broad gone.

England's top wicket-taker on active duty will be Stokes, once the last guard of honour has been dispersed, the final tributes have been paid and Anderson has transformed from a fearsome opening bowler to a void that needs to be filled.

Even though he won't be leading the assault in the same manner, the captain's expertise will come in very handy considering how inexperienced England's seam attacks are expected to be this summer.

Of course, part of that can be communicated orally, but England still needs a guy who can set an example by having gone there and done that.

Stokes' next move in that direction was this. It seems sense that there was some rustiness in the morning and signs of fatigue in the afternoon.

However, his pace was good, and he shaped the ball wonderfully away from the Lancashire right-handers once a cold morning gave way to a brilliant, sunny afternoon.

Stokes was at his most dangerous during a six-over spell after lunch, particularly after taking his first wicket of the summer off an innocent short ball.

Stokes changed the momentum following Lancashire's impressive start by bowling in tandem with Matthew Potts, who took 2-94 and did no harm to his England aspirations with a couple of extremely exciting spells during the day.

After a few bad balls in the evening session, there was a brief outburst of rage, but Stokes recovered to fizz a few quick deliveries past the bat before getting his second wicket with another well-placed delivery.

When the second new ball became available, Stokes was taken off the attack. However, even after his bowling efforts were over, his fitness was tested as Durham fielders were kept busy by some late hitting from Saqib Mahmood, another player who was possibly hoping to capture the attention of England's captain.

Over four or five days, it will be interesting to watch how Stokes' body—that left knee, in particular—holds up, but the early signals are encouraging for England.

In his final red-ball match with Durham, he demonstrated his vision for England's style under his captaincy by scoring an explosive 161 off just 88 balls against Worcestershire.

They need a seasoned bowler who can put in the hard yards after losing two great bowlers in two years. It would be ideal if this bowler was a true all-rounder who could help balance the side.

Even if there are still many obstacles to overcome, Stokes appears bent on becoming the ideal player that England needs.