Ben Stokes might not bowl in Hamilton Test
England suffered a setback on the opening day of the second Test against New Zealand in Hamilton after all-rounder Ben Stokes re-injured his knee on Friday. As a result, he was able to bowl just a couple during the day, although he was on the field throughout. Nonetheless, it is not clear if he would bowl for the remainder of the match.
Stokes was uncomfortable with his knee throughout his bowling spell
As for Stokes, he was in a visible discomfort while bowling throughout his two-over spell. Following the final delivery of his second over, he was not at all comfortable, as he pulled up and held his knee, while team physio checked on him. Stokes was barred from bowling any further, however, he was given a green signal to continue as a fielder.
Ben has some pain in his left knee: England
"Ben has some pain in his left knee and will be assessed on whether he can bowl during the rest of this innings. He felt some discomfort at the end of his second over earlier today," said England in a statement.
Stokes had injured his left knee 3 years back
It is to be noted that Stokes had injured his left knee in the past, as he tore a cartilage and had to undergo knee surgery in May 2016. However, the injury flared up again prior to England's ICC Champions Trophy 2017 campaign. As he underwent another scan before the tournament, he was given thumbs up and went on to play the tournament.
How did Day 1 of the second Test pan out?
Winning the toss, England skipper Joe Root elected to bowl first, as New Zealand were off to a shaky start, losing their opening two wickets with just 39 runs on the board. However, opener Tom Latham (101*) and Ross Taylor (53) put up a 116-run stand for the third wicket to bring the hosts back into the game, before rain forced an early stumps.
