Ben Stokes gives England a fitness boost ahead of tour of Pakistan as he bats for over an hour after Durham’s victory against Lancashire

Ben Stokes provided England with a fitness boost ahead of next month’s tour of Pakistan with a prolonged net after Durham beat Lancashire in Chester-le-Street.

Test captain Stokes, missed the recent series win over Sri Lanka after tearing a hamstring playing in the Hundred, but showed signs that his recovery is on schedule by batting for more than an hour at his county headquarters.

Earlier, the 33-year-old witnessed his international colleague Matthew Potts claim a career-best nine for 68 to complete an innings win over relegation-threatened Lancashire.

It was the first nine-wicket haul by a bowler in the Championship since Liam Norwell’s spectacular final afternoon performance kept Warwickshire up via a nail-biting victory over Hampshire two years ago.

‘It was great to come back and deliver for the boys at the end of the season,’ said Potts, who was left out of the loss to Sri Lanka at the Kia Oval last week and will look up with England’s one-day squad this weekend.

Matthew Potts claimed a career-best nine for 68 to complete an innings win over Lancashire

Stokes batted for over an hour following Durham’s victory against Lancashire

Potts sent down a first morning spell of 10-1-30-5 that left him feeling ‘goosed,’ but returned to wrap things up before lunch on the fourth day when he trapped Anderson Phillip leg before wicket.

‘I took the second new ball and threw the old one as far as I could off the field,’ he said, following match figures of 12 for 126. ‘It’s a disgusting thing, I’ve got it in my pocket and it looks as though I’ve been throwing it for my dogs for an hour.’

Potts is yet to play a Test away from home, but is in the 17-man squad selected for the three-match series against Pakistan.