Ben Stokes retired hurt on the second day of England’s Test warm-up against a Sri Lanka Board XI after being struck on the left arm.
Stokes had gone early at a Lahiru Kumara short ball and was hit on the upper arm, attempting to bat on but quickly admitting defeat and heading for the dressing room.
He was believed to have sustained nothing more serious than bruising above the elbow, and having faced only 15 balls he was hoping to bat again in the final session of the day, but there was a more worrying problem for fielder Pathum Nissanka.
He was struck flush on the helmet by a powerful Jos Buttler shot and received lengthy treatment from England’s medical staff before being lifted off on a stretcher and taken to hospital.
Team doctor Moiz Moghal, physio Craig de Weymarn and masseuse Mark Saxby were among those to assist as the 20-year-old was carefully lifted on to a stretcher with his head braced.
Nissanka was said to be conscious but complaining of soreness in his neck and the teams eventually agreed to take an early tea.
Almost as a footnote, Buttler was given out with the ball caught by Angelo Mathews at leg-slip after ricocheting off Nissanka’s helmet, leaving England 220 for four.
The tourists’ new-look top order had earlier enjoyed differing fortunes in their response to the hosts 392 on day one.
Keaton Jennings, retained after a lean summer following Alastair Cook’s retirement, chopped on to his stumps for 13 – reacting to his dismissal with a frustrated swing of the bat.
Newcomer Rory Burns, though, looked in fine touch as he struck nine fours on his way to a neat 47. He had yet to offer up a chance when a miscommunication saw him run out by a direct-hit.
Joe Denly, a possible rival for Jennings, did little to state his own case in an unconvincing knock of 25.
Denly started poorly and was bowled immediately after lunch. Joe Root was in typically good touch, resuming for the final session on 79 not out after putting on 108 with Buttler (44).
