COLOMBO: Ben Stokes retired hurt on day two of England’s warm-up match in Colombo but later returned to bat.
Having not bowled on day one against a Sri Lanka Board President’s XI, the 27-year-old all-rounder was struck on the left arm during England’s reply, reported BBC.
Joe Root retired out after hitting a century before Stokes resumed his innings after tea, but Sri Lanka’s Pathum Nissanka was carried off.
A Jos Buttler shot struck the fielder, 20, flush on the helmet at short leg.
Nissanka immediately slumped to the turf and received treatment from England’s medical staff for about 15 minutes before he was taken off on a stretcher, with the players taking an early tea.
Stokes, whose workload is being managed before the Test series, had made 10 runs from 15 balls before was struck by a short ball from Lahiru Kumara having attempted a pull.
The three-Test series begins in Galle on 6 November.
