WATCH: Ben Stokes smashes 5 sixes, 1 four in single over, finishes with 161 off 88 on return to County cricket

England's new Test Captain and Durham all-rounder Ben Stokes on Friday (May 6), smashed an innings 161 off just 88 balls with a record-breaking 17 sixes in a single county cricket innings. By doing so, Stokes crossed Australia's Andrew Symonds's record, who representated Gloucestershire and smacked Glamorgan for 16 sixes back in the year 1995.

Other than Symonds, Graham Napier of Essex county had hit Surrey for 16 sixes in a single county cricket innings in 2011. He accomplished this feat during his side's match against Worcestershire in the County Championship Division Two 2022 at New Road in Worcester.

This memorable knock by the Englishman also included an onslaught in the 117th over of the game, in which he smashed spinner Josh Baker for a whopping 6,6,6,6,6,4 in a single over.

Checkout the 34 runs over here...

Ben Stokes has just hit a 64 ball 100 including a 34 over.

Ridiculous batting

@DurhamCricketpic.twitter.com/p0zQnXAasu — Oddschanger (@Oddschanger) May 6, 2022

This fast-tracked Stokes from 70 (59) to 100 (64). The all-rounder was finally dismissed by Worcestershire captain and spinner Brett D`Oliveira. His 88-ball 161 at the end included 8 fours and 17 sixes.

At the innings break, Durham stands at 580/6 declared in 128 overs, with Ned Eckersley and Liam Trevaskis unbeaten at 0. For Durham, Sean Dickson (104), Keegan Petersen (50), captain Scott Borthwick (89), David Bedingham (135) also played some brilliant knocks. Pacer Ben Gibbon was the pick of the bowlers for Worcestershire, getting 2/94 in 25 overs, with four of them maidens.

Notably, England Cricket Board in April announced the appointment of all-rounder Ben Stokes as the men's Test team captain. Stokes succeeded Joe Root in becoming the 81st captain of the England men's Test team.

Brief Scores: Durham 580/6 declared (Ben Stokes 161, David Bedingham, Ben Gibbon 2/94) vs Worcestershire.

With ANI inputs