Ben Stokes says he was “like a kid at Christmas” as he made his return from injury.

The all-rounder has featured twice for Durham in the T20 Blast as he comes back from a broken finger.

The England star, from Cockermouth, hit a rapid 29 off 18 balls and took a stunning catch in Durham’s win over the Birmingham Bears.

He then scored 11 and went wicketless for 30 runs in Wednesday’s defeat to Northamptonshire Steelbacks.

It has been a much-anticipated return to fitness for the 30-year-old since he suffered the injury whilst fielding for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL.

The Cumbria star will now hope to build up to an eventual return to the England side this summer after his two-month lay-off.

England felt Stokes’ absence in their recent Test series defeat to New Zealand, while they are without the all-rounder for the current T20 international contests with Sri Lanka.

Writing in his Mirror column, Stokes said of his comeback: “On Saturday night I went to bed like a little kid before Christmas. I was so excited about the thought of being back on the field that I hardly slept a wink.

“Of course there were nerves there. Playing against the Birmingham Bears was going to be a challenge. How would the finger hold up? Would I hurt it again? Could I contribute to the team and help get a result?

“Thankfully the answers to all these questions ended up being positive and now I can look forward to the rest of the summer with some real confidence.”