BEN STOKES has become the eighth Durham player in the last 11 years to be named as one of Wisden's five cricketers of the year.

His heroics in last summer's Ashes triumph and during the winter series in South Africa have earned him the accolade alongside two Yorkshire players in Jonny Bairstow and Kane Williamson.

Australia captain Steve Smith and Williamson's fellow New Zealander Brendon McCullum complete the list.

Ironically, Williamson and McCullum were dismissed by successive balls from Stokes in the first Test at Lord's last summer after he had smashed 92 from 94 balls in the first innings and an 85-ball century in the second.

This was the second fastest Test century by an England player, but was upstaged by Stokes's 258 from 198 balls at Cape Town in January. Wisden observes: “It was rated by many as the most destructive innings ever played by an England batsman.”

According to Wisden's own list, Durham have now had as many cricketers of the year as Leicestershire in their entire history.

It began with Steve Harmison in 2005, followed by Paul Collingwood two years later before Ottis Gibson, Graham Onions and Dale Benkenstein were named in successive seasons.

West Indian Shivnarine Chanderpaul and South African Neil McKenzie also received the accolade following seasons in which they featured for Durham.

Ever since Stokes made his debut in 2009, aged 18, it has been a question of when, not if, he would aspire to Wisden's list.

The almanack notes that “progress has not always been smooth”, recalling that he was sent home from an England Lions tour “after one night out too many” and that he broke his wrist when punching a locker in Barbados.

But all that has been greatly overshadowed by his feats in the last year.