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England cricketer Ben Stokes has pleaded not guilty after being accused of fighting outside a Bristol nightclub in September.

The 26-year-old Durham all-rounder is charged with affray after a man allegedly suffered a broken eye socket.

At Bristol Crown Court on Monday, Mr Stokes denied the charges via video link from New Zealand where he is on duty with the England squad.

Mr Stokes is accused jointly with Ryan Hale and Ryan Aslam Ali.

Mr Hale, 26, and 28-year-old Mr Ali, both from Bristol, also deny the same charge of affray.

The trial date has been set for 6 August and the three defendants were granted unconditional bail.

Mr Stokes, Mr Hale and Mr Ali were detained early on 25 September following a disturbance in the Clifton Triangle area of the city – several hours after England had played a one-day international against the West Indies.

What is affray?

The charge of affray is made under the Public Order Act 1986 and effectively relates to fighting in public.

It is a triable either-way offence, which means it can be heard in either the magistrates’ court or the crown court.

It carries a maximum penalty when tried summarily – in the magistrates’ court – of a fine or up to six months in prison, and when tried on indictment – in the crown court – of up to three years in prison.

As a result of the charge, Mr Stokes missed the Ashes series, which hosts Australia won 4-0, although he was allowed to play some domestic matches in New Zealand.

England declared him available once more after he indicated a plea of not guilty at Bristol Magistrates’ Court in February.

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England are due to play the first test match of a five-game series against India at Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham between 1-5 August, with Mr Stokes’s trial due to start a day later.

The trial is expected to last between five and seven days, which means there is a risk Mr Stokes could miss the second test which starts at Lord’s Cricket Ground on 9 August.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said: “We fully respect the legal process and the player’s right to defend himself against the charge.”

In January the ECB said that, “given the potential length of time to trial”, it would not be “fair, reasonable or proportionate for Ben Stokes to remain unavailable for a further indeterminate period”.

Allrounder Ben Stokes could be returning to New Zealand again this summer.

Stokes, who played a short spell for Canterbury in the Ford Trophy, has been named in the England Twenty squad play Australia and New Zealand in a tri-series tournament.

“Ben Stokes is included, though his involvement remains subject to any relevant legal or disciplinary developments in relation to the incident in Bristol in September,” a press release by England Cricket stated.

“Should the ECB Board receive formal confirmation that Stokes has either been charged or that he will face no charges, they would convene within 48 hours to make a decision on his availability for the team at that stage,” the release continued.

Stokes spent a month in New Zealand late last year visiting his parents in Christchurch and playing for Canterbury in the Ford Trophy 50 overs competition and Twenty20 Super Smash League.

The 26-year-old New Zealand-born allrounder is currently suspended from the England team as he waits to learn whether he will be charged over his role in an incident outside a nightclub in the England city of Bristol in September.

Stokes had mixed fortunes on the field in his brief stint with Canterbury. He scored 36 runs in three 50 overs matches while taking 1-144 and he scored 133 runs in three Twenty20 innings, taking two wickets.

Stokes has been named in England’s squad for a one-day series in Australia in January but his selection is provisional on any future legal action.

BEN STOKES has been cleared to cash in on the Indian Premier League despite being barred from playing for England.

Stokes was bought for $2.9 million (£1.7m) last year when he turned out for Rising Pune Supergiants in the auction, thesun.co.uk reports.

And the all-rounder could receive even more when he goes up for grabs in the latest IPL auction later this money with the salary cap increased by 20 per cent.

Stokes, 26, is still suspended by the England and Wales Cricket Board following an alleged assault on a night out in Bristol last year.

But the ECB have given permission for the Durham star to be in the list of players available to compete in this year’s competition in India.

It means Stokes could find himself as one of the highest paid players in the IPL while still being unable to take part in international cricket.

The ECB imposed a suspension on the player in September after it emerged he was involved in a fight while on a night out with England teammates.

It meant the all-rounder was unable to be part of the Ashes squad currently touring Australia while police investigated the incident.

Officers have now passed on the file to the Crown Prosecution Service to decide whether he will face any charges following the bust-up, which left him with a broken hand.

The ECB will only meet to decide on their stance going forward when the CPS make their decision, which is expected to be later this month.

There had been a hope the situation would resolve itself in time for the player to link up with the England squad in time for the third Ashes Test.

But with the delay in deciding if any criminal charges would be made, there was no chance of him being able to board a plane to Australia.

Instead, Stokes opted to take advantage of his downtime by flying out to New Zealand to visit his family while on a short-term deal with Canterbury.

Stokes played six matches during his stint with the side, although his form showed he was still rusty following his enforced lay-off.

The ECB also announced Stokes has been replaced by Dawid Malan in England’s one-day international squad to face Australia in the five-match series beginning January 14.

Skysports.com reports Stokes was named in England’s squad for the series last month, even though he remains unavailable for international selection while he waits to see if he will be charged with causing actual bodily harm following the famous fracas outside a Bristol nightclub in September.

Malan is uncapped in ODI cricket but made a fine impression on his Twenty20 debut last summer and has since gone on to establish himself in England’s Test team – including with a maiden century in the third Ashes Test in Perth.

England’s squad for the Twenty20 tri-series, starting on February 3 against Australia and New Zealand, will be confirmed next week, with the squad for the spring Test series against New Zealand announced after the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney, which gets underway on Thursday.

– This story originally appeared on thesun.co.uk

BEN STOKES has been cleared to cash in on the Indian Premier League despite being barred from playing for England.

Stokes was bought for $2.9 million (£1.7m) last year when he turned out for Rising Pune Supergiants in the auction, thesun.co.uk reports.

And the all-rounder could receive even more when he goes up for grabs in the latest IPL auction later this money with the salary cap increased by 20 per cent.

Stokes, 26, is still suspended by the England and Wales Cricket Board following an alleged assault on a night out in Bristol last year.

But the ECB have given permission for the Durham star to be in the list of players available to compete in this year’s competition in India.

It means Stokes could find himself as one of the highest paid players in the IPL while still being unable to take part in international cricket.

The ECB imposed a suspension on the player in September after it emerged he was involved in a fight while on a night out with England teammates.

It meant the all-rounder was unable to be part of the Ashes squad currently touring Australia while police investigated the incident.

Officers have now passed on the file to the Crown Prosecution Service to decide whether he will face any charges following the bust-up, which left him with a broken hand.

The ECB will only meet to decide on their stance going forward when the CPS make their decision, which is expected to be later this month.

There had been a hope the situation would resolve itself in time for the player to link up with the England squad in time for the third Ashes Test.

But with the delay in deciding if any criminal charges would be made, there was no chance of him being able to board a plane to Australia.

Instead, Stokes opted to take advantage of his downtime by flying out to New Zealand to visit his family while on a short-term deal with Canterbury.

Stokes played six matches during his stint with the side, although his form showed he was still rusty following his enforced lay-off.

The ECB also announced Stokes has been replaced by Dawid Malan in England’s one-day international squad to face Australia in the five-match series beginning January 14.

Skysports.com reports Stokes was named in England’s squad for the series last month, even though he remains unavailable for international selection while he waits to see if he will be charged with causing actual bodily harm following the famous fracas outside a Bristol nightclub in September.

Malan is uncapped in ODI cricket but made a fine impression on his Twenty20 debut last summer and has since gone on to establish himself in England’s Test team – including with a maiden century in the third Ashes Test in Perth.

England’s squad for the Twenty20 tri-series, starting on February 3 against Australia and New Zealand, will be confirmed next week, with the squad for the spring Test series against New Zealand announced after the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney, which gets underway on Thursday.

– This story originally appeared on thesun.co.uk

BEN STOKES has been cleared to cash in on the Indian Premier League despite being barred from playing for England.

Stokes was bought for $2.9 million (£1.7m) last year when he turned out for Rising Pune Supergiants in the auction, thesun.co.uk reports.

And the all-rounder could receive even more when he goes up for grabs in the latest IPL auction later this money with the salary cap increased by 20 per cent.

Stokes, 26, is still suspended by the England and Wales Cricket Board following an alleged assault on a night out in Bristol last year.

But the ECB have given permission for the Durham star to be in the list of players available to compete in this year’s competition in India.

It means Stokes could find himself as one of the highest paid players in the IPL while still being unable to take part in international cricket.

The ECB imposed a suspension on the player in September after it emerged he was involved in a fight while on a night out with England teammates.

It meant the all-rounder was unable to be part of the Ashes squad currently touring Australia while police investigated the incident.

Officers have now passed on the file to the Crown Prosecution Service to decide whether he will face any charges following the bust-up, which left him with a broken hand.

The ECB will only meet to decide on their stance going forward when the CPS make their decision, which is expected to be later this month.

There had been a hope the situation would resolve itself in time for the player to link up with the England squad in time for the third Ashes Test.

But with the delay in deciding if any criminal charges would be made, there was no chance of him being able to board a plane to Australia.

Instead, Stokes opted to take advantage of his downtime by flying out to New Zealand to visit his family while on a short-term deal with Canterbury.

Stokes played six matches during his stint with the side, although his form showed he was still rusty following his enforced lay-off.

The ECB also announced Stokes has been replaced by Dawid Malan in England’s one-day international squad to face Australia in the five-match series beginning January 14.

Skysports.com reports Stokes was named in England’s squad for the series last month, even though he remains unavailable for international selection while he waits to see if he will be charged with causing actual bodily harm following the famous fracas outside a Bristol nightclub in September.

Malan is uncapped in ODI cricket but made a fine impression on his Twenty20 debut last summer and has since gone on to establish himself in England’s Test team – including with a maiden century in the third Ashes Test in Perth.

England’s squad for the Twenty20 tri-series, starting on February 3 against Australia and New Zealand, will be confirmed next week, with the squad for the spring Test series against New Zealand announced after the fifth Ashes Test in Sydney, which gets underway on Thursday.

– This story originally appeared on thesun.co.uk

Suspended England all-rounder Ben Stokes has been withdrawn from the squad for this month’s five-match one-day international series against Australia and was replaced by batsman Dawid Malan.

Stokes, who was provisionally named in England’s squad, is awaiting a decision on whether he will be charged by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for his involvement in an altercation outside a Bristol nightclub in September.

The English and Wales Cricket Board said he would not travel with the group of players leaving for Australia on Tuesday and his availability will depend on CPS advice.

“Should ECB receive formal confirmation that he has either, a) been charged or, b) will face no charges, the ECB board would convene within 48 hours to make a decision on his availability to represent England at that stage,” ECB said in a statement on their website (www.ecb.co.uk).

The ECB said Stokes has been cleared to participate in the player draft for the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament.

The first ODI between Australia and England will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Jan. 14.

-Reuters

Suspended England all-rounder Ben Stokes has been withdrawn from the squad for this month’s five-match one-day international series against Australia and was replaced by batsman Dawid Malan, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Monday.

Stokes, who was provisionally named in England’s squad, is awaiting a decision on whether he will be charged by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for his involvement in an altercation outside a Bristol nightclub in September.

The ECB said he would not travel with the group of players leaving for Australia on Tuesday and his availability will depend on CPS advice.

“Should ECB receive formal confirmation that he has either, a) been charged or, b) will face no charges, the ECB board would convene within 48 hours to make a decision on his availability to represent England at that stage,” said the ECB on ecb.co.uk.

The ECB said Stokes has been cleared to participate in the player draft for the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament.

The first one-day international between Australia and England will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on January 14th.

– (Reuters)

(Reuters) – Suspended England all-rounder Ben Stokes has been withdrawn from the squad for this month’s five-match one-day international series against Australia and was replaced by batsman Dawid Malan, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Monday.

Stokes, who was provisionally named in England’s squad, is awaiting a decision on whether he will be charged by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for his involvement in an altercation outside a Bristol nightclub in September.

The ECB said he would not travel with the group of players leaving for Australia on Tuesday and his availability will depend on CPS advice.

“Should ECB receive formal confirmation that he has either, a) been charged or, b) will face no charges, the ECB board would convene within 48 hours to make a decision on his availability to represent England at that stage,” ECB said in a statement on their website (www.ecb.co.uk).

The ECB said Stokes has been cleared to participate in the player draft for the Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament.

The first ODI between Australia and England will be played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Jan. 14.