England’s all-rounder Stokes out of 2nd Test against Lanka

Bairstow’s keeping catches England’s eye

LEEDS, United Kingdom, May 23, (AFP): England all-rounder Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the second Test against Sri Lanka with a knee injury, team management confirmed Monday.

Stokes has been replaced in England’s 12-man squad by Warwickshire allrounder Chris Woakes.

Durham star Stokes injured himself during England’s crushing innings and 88-run win in the first Test at Headingley.

He will now miss the second of the three-match series, which starts at his Chester-le-Street home ground on Friday.

Woakes is now in the hunt for a seventh Test cap. His last appearance came against South Africa at Centurion in January, a match where England lost but won the series.

He will compete for a place in England’s X1 against uncapped Nottinghamshire quick Jake Ball, in the squad at Headingley.

Meanwhile Sri Lanka have confirmed that Kusal Perera will be joining their squad.

Perera was cleared to play again two weeks ago after the International Cricket Council lifted a provisional doping ban and all associated charges against him following concerns over the reliability of the drug Test carried out by a World Anti-Doping Agency accredited laboratory in Qatar. England squad for 2nd Test: Alastair Cook (Essex) (capt), Moeen Ali (Worcestershire), James Anderson (Lancashire), Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire, wkt), Jake Ball (Nottinghamshire), Stuart Broad (Nottinghamshire), Nick Compton (Middlesex), Steven Finn (Middlesex), Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire), Joe Root (Yorkshire), James Vince (Hampshire),

Chris Woakes (Warwickshire).

Jonathan Bairstow’s form with the gloves as much as his runs with the bat in the first Test against Sri Lanka delighted England’s backroom staff.

The Yorkshireman’s 140 on his Headingley home ground laid the plaform for an innings and 88-run win that saw England go 1-0 up in the three-match series.

But the England wicket-keeper, the man-of-the-match, also held nine catches, including a couple of diving efforts that have troubled him in the past, as an attack led by James Anderson, who had overall figures of 10 for 45, kept finding the outside edge in a match that was wrapped up inside three days.

As well as working with specialist wicket-keeping coach Bruce French, himself a former England gloveman, Bairstow also enjoyed a day with Newcastle United football club’s goalkeeping coaches.

“He did one session with the goalkeeping coaches at Newcastle, on balance and shape of the body,” explained England assistant coach Paul Farbrace.

“He really enjoyed that, and got a lot from it.”

Bairstow grassed just one clear chance at Headingley and former first-class wicket-keeper Farbrace said there were definite signs of improvement in his work behind the stumps since England completed a Test series win in South Africa earlier this year.

“He looked balanced and very strong in his movements,” said Farbrace. “In South Africa, he looked unbalanced.

“Predominantly, he stood a fraction too wide ... if you get a nick from there, you’re off balance.”