[WATCH] Sai Kishore bowls Ben Stokes for 45 in County Championship as Durham post big first innings

R Sai Kishore produced a sharp delivery to clean-bowl Ben Stokes during Durham’s first innings reply against Gloucestershire in the County Championship at Chester-le-Street on August 28, 2026. The ball passed through bat and pad and sent a stump flying, ending Stokes’s innings on 45 runs. Stokes threw his bat high in frustration after walking off.

Gloucestershire’s posted footage of the dismissal, bringing the moment to appreciate the spinner for dismissing a great all-rounder. The clip drew attention partly because of what had happened earlier in the same match, when Gloucestershire batted in their first innings, Stokes had dismissed Sai Kishore for a duck. Gloucestershire were bowled out for 137 in that first innings.

Bedingham’s 122 anchors Durham’s reply

The left-arm spinner from Tamil Nadu returned the favour by removing the England Test captain for 45 in Durham’s reply, completing a neat reversal of fortunes across the two innings. David Bedingham scored 122 in Durham’s first innings, giving the home side a commanding position. At the Day 2 lunch break, Colin Ackermann and Ollie Robinson were at the crease with the innings still in progress.

Sai Kishore’s county background

Sai Kishore joined Gloucestershire on a six-match deal in July 2026 to cover the final stretch of the County Championship Division Two season. His debut for the county came against Worcestershire, where he took four wickets. Before joining Gloucestershire, he had represented Surrey in county cricket, taking 11 wickets across two appearances.

The Tamil Nadu spinner carries a strong first-class record, with 223 wickets at an average of 24.21 heading into this county stint. At international level, Sai Kishore has played only T20 cricket for India, making his debut at the 2023 Asian Games and taking four wickets in three T20Is. He has not played Test cricket for India.

Gloucestershire had won just once in their first eight Championship matches this season before Sai Kishore’s arrival. Jon Lewis, the county’s director of cricket, had stated the club was fully committed to improving their performances across the remaining matches of the campaign.