Up to 18 bowlers will take part in individualised training sessions across seven county grounds tomorrow, the England and Wales Cricket Board has announced.

And Emirates Riverside at Chester-le-Street has been named as one of the selected venues, which means both Ben Stokes and Mark Wood are likely to be returning to training.

While professional cricket in this country has been shelved until at least July 1 because of coronavirus, the ECB confirmed return to training protocols for a select few bowlers.

Emirates Riverside, Taunton, Edgbaston, Emirates Old Trafford, Kia Oval, Trent Bridge and Hove are the assigned venues, with each hosting at least one session this week before a full roll out next week.

For the rest of this week, a physiotherapist will be at each venue to oversee each session, observing social distancing measures, before ECB and selected county coaches return to individual sessions from next week.

Batsmen and wicketkeepers will come back to training on June 1, with the ECB anticipating more venues being opened up to accommodate the demand, which will be confirmed nearer the time.

For now, bowlers must bring their own kit, including assigned cricket balls, and maintain a minimum of two metres physical and social distancing.

If they bowl in an empty net they must collect their own ball, which is not allowed to be shined with saliva or sweat.

The International Cricket Council last week recommended a temporary ban on the use of saliva to shine the ball and, although sweat was deemed OK due to a lesser risk of passing on the virus, the ECB has for now ruled out the use of the two bodily fluids.