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Jonny Bairstow 'delighted' with Ben Stokes affray verdict

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Jonny Bairstow says he is 'delighted' after Ben Stokes was found not guilty of affray

Jonny Bairstow says he is "delighted" that England team-mate Ben Stokes has been found not guilty of affray

Stokes was cleared on Tuesday at Bristol Crown Court following an incident that took place outside a Bristol nightclub last September.

The all-rounder and his England team-mate Alex Hales, who was also involved in the incident, now await the outcome of a cricket disciplinary case, which had been on hold pending the conclusion of criminal proceedings.

Stokes
Image: Ben Stokes was found not guilty of affray following an incident outside a Bristol nightclub last September

"I'm really happy that the verdict has come out as it has for English cricket," England wicketkeeper Bairstow said.

"It's big for him. It's been a long 10 months for him, for his family.

"(I'm) delighted and hopefully we can see him back in an England shirt very, very soon because we saw the impact that he had at Edgbaston only a couple of weeks ago in the first Test."

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Ben Stokes 'full of emotion' at verdict

It was confirmed later on Tuesday that Stokes will rejoin the squad for the third Test, which gets under way at Trent Bridge on Saturday.

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He starred as England won the first Test against India at Edgbaston, but was unable to play the second due to the case as Joe Root's side went 2-0 up at Lord's over the weekend.

The five-match series runs until mid September with the final two Tests taking place at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton and The Oval in London.

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