Ben Stokes found not guilty of affray

England cricketer Ben Stokes has been found not guilty of affray by a jury at Bristol Crown Court.

Stokes had been facing the charge after becoming involved in an incident outside of a Bristol nightclub last September, with footage appearing to show the 27-year-old punch both Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale.

The Durham all-rounder has maintained that he was acting in self-defence, while the prosecution had argued that Stokes was the aggressor in the fracas which had taken place in the early hours of the morning.

The jury retired to come to a verdict earlier on Tuesday morning, and it found Stokes - and Ali - to be not guilty of affray. According to BBC News, the pair shook hands upon leaving the dock.

A guilty verdict could have had ramifications for Stokes's cricket career, but he could now potentially be involved in the remainder of the Test series with India.