England may need to reassess Ben Stokes’ role as an all-rounder following his recent injury setback during a Test match in Hamilton.
Stokes was seen leaving the field, clutching the same left hamstring he severely injured in August, unable to finish his over on the third afternoon of the final Test against New Zealand.
Despite having already secured the series, England’s primary concern was their captain rather than the state of the one-sided game at Seddon Park. New Zealand set a daunting target of 658 and took out both openers, leaving England struggling at 18 for two.
Stokes, who prides himself on giving his all for the team, may be feeling the effects of long, hard seasons of wear and tear faster than he’d like at 33 years old.
The sight of Stokes limping off the ground with a compression bandage on his leg was a distressing image, especially after a trip where he seemed to have overcome 18 months of fitness issues and looked ready to resume his role as the team’s action hero.
He was into his 67th over of the series – almost 37 of those in this match – when he felt his muscle twinge and left the stage. His day ended immediately, with a scan scheduled to assess the full extent of the damage.
In the long term, both he and England may now need to consider whether his body can still handle everything he demands of it.
“We didn’t see it coming,” confessed assistant coach Marcus Trescothick. “You don’t have any signs for these sort of things, generally they just happen. But obviously it’s the same hamstring that he’s done before and it’s always tough when you realise you’re injured again.
“Maybe it’s a case that you manage his bowling loads (from now on) and potentially he doesn’t bowl the volume that he’s bowled in this game.
“He works dramatically well with his fitness to try and get into the best shape he can be. He’s been going so well, he’s been bowling and playing the role that he does as an all-rounder and captain. We’ll just have to look at how we manage it.”
Stokes’ troubles came on a day when New Zealand drained English spirits in a relentless manner. Already 340 ahead, they nearly doubled their lead as Kane Williamson led the charge with 156.
Things then deteriorated further as Zak Crawley’s difficult series took another hit, dismissed by nemesis Matt Henry for the sixth consecutive time to finish with 52 runs at an average of 8.66.
His furious response to a close call from umpire Adrian Holdstock suggested the pressure was getting to him and could possibly result in a fine from the match referee.
“It’s always tough when someone gets something over you,” admitted Trescothick. “You want to score runs every time you go out and play. One innings is bad, six innings is challenging, of course it. But we’ll get him through it and continue to back him.
“We’re very much focused on him being the opening batter for a good period to come. He’s a strong character and although it’s challenging when someone gets you under the pump, he’ll find a way. And we’ll help him find a way to get back to that point.”
