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.
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.
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.
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).
