Stokes and Atkinson in the clear and free to play

THE independent Cricket Regulator has taken no action against Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson over the nightclub incident which led to them missing last week's Test against New Zealand, finding “insufficient evidence” against the pair.

- RORY DOLLARD

The ruling, which effectively clears the England captain and his teammate, comes after the duo were recalled for Thursday's Rothesay Series decider against New Zealand at Trent Bridge.

A parallel investigation by the England and Wales Cricket Board also absolved Stokes and Atkinson of any wrongdoing in an altercation involving Saracens rugby union player Totoa Auvaa, though they were issued with written conduct warnings for contravening “specific contractual obligations”.

Saracens declined to comment on their internal investigation into the incident when contacted on Monday.

The regulator, which does not cover team protocols in its remit, said in a statement: “The Cricket Regulator’s role is to determine whether any participant or player has breached any applicable ECB Cricket Regulations. The investigation followed multiple lines of enquiry to gather and assess evidence in relation to the events in question.