Ben Stokes signs two-year contract with Durham

Ben Stokes, the 18-year old allrounder, has signed a two-year professional contract with Durham, having recently been named in England's squad for the Under-19 World Cup.

Stokes joined the Durham Academy in 2007 and made his Second XI debut in the same year, where he took a career-best 4-19 against Leicestershire. In 2009 he made his first appearance for the senior squad in the Friends Provident Trophy against Surrey at The Oval and went on to feature in the 40-over competition later in the season. He also played an Under-19 Test for England against Bangladesh at Derby in July, making 72 in the first innings and an unbeaten 17 in the second.

Stokes said he is looking forward to learning from the senior players in a very successful club. "It's been an exciting few weeks for me and I'm really happy to have signed my first professional contract. It's great to be involved with such a successful club and it's been a real benefit to have a varied group of players around me who I can go to for advice. I can't wait for the 2010 season to start."

Geoff Cook, the Durham coach, said the Stokes had been rewarded for the hard work he put in this season. "We set Ben a number of challenging targets for the 2009 season and he worked incredibly hard to meet them. The transition from Academy to second XI and on to the first team can be a tough one but I have been impressed by the way he has performed. He's a great young talent and I'm pleased that he's going to be part of the squad for the foreseeable future."