Suspended England allrounder Ben Stokes has shown improved form in his latest outing in New Zealand's domestic competition.
Stokes, playing for Canterbury against Auckland in a one-day match on Wednesday, made 34 from 41 balls.
The English vice-captain then went wicktless in seven overs which conceded 39 runs.
While hardly startling, the returns were better than his initial match for Canterbury last Sunday when he made only two runs and took 0-49.
Stokes is waiting to learn if he will face criminal charges from a street fight in Bristol in late September.
Stokes and his England one-day teammate Alex Hales were suspended indefinitely by England's cricket board pending the outcome of a police investigation into the fight.
The ban only applied to England games.
UK police have finalised their investigation into the brawl in Bristol with prosecutors now deciding whether to lay charges against Stokes.
Once prosecutors inform the ECB of the status of Stokes, an independent Cricket Discipline Commission will decide on what, if any, penalty to impose, a separate process to any court action.
Hales has been exonerated by police of any wrongdoing in the fight outside a nightclub on September 25.
He is set to be included in England's one-day squad to play Australia in a five-match series starting on January 14.
UK media has reported Stokes will likely be a provisional inclusion in the squad, expected to be named later this week.
