ASHES 2019: England players were concerned for Smith after Archer blow, says Chris Woakes 

Steve Smith received a blow to his neck off a bouncer from Jofra Archer at Lord's.

The incident left everyone worried for Smith | Getty

England players were definitely concerned for Steve Smith's health after he fell down on receiving a painful blow to his neck off a bouncer from Jofra Archer on Day 4 of the ongoing second Ashes Test at Lord's, said Chris Woakes, who was fielding at fine-leg when the unfortunate incident happened. 

Smith was retired hurt immediately after receiving some on-field treatment. The ball that hurt him was clocked at 92.4 mph (148.7 kph). 

He returned at the fall of the next wicket some 40 minutes later but was dismissed LBW soon after by Woakes on 92. 

"I was down at fine leg but you get a feel as a player when someone gets hit, by the noise more than anything. You could hear it was more fleshy, around the neck. When that's the case you're immediately worried as a player," Woakes told reporters after day's play at Lord's. 

"Jos [Buttler] at short leg was in straight away to check he was okay, which was nice to see. You don't wish that on anyone. For Steve to come back out after being hit the way he was shows courage and character. He's been incredible in this series."

Smith, who quite dangerously wasn't wearing a neck guard that must be attached to the helmet these days, looked to play his shots on having returned to the field but got out shouldering arms after misjudging the line of Woakes' delivery. It seemed he wasn't stable enough to carry on. 

"I suppose it is strange because he hasn’t left any on the stumps all series so far! He'd just come back out, he hoyed me over midwicket for a one-bounce four."

"I don't know if he was trying to get to three figures as quickly as possible, I'm not too sure. It's a tough one to answer. He hasn't left one like that so far – I just thought it was a good piece of bowling!"

With a top speed of 96.1 mph, the spell from Archer to Smith was perhaps the quickest seen in Test cricket in recent times. 

"Not personally, on the field," Woakes replied to a query if he had ever witnessed a quicker piece of bowling. "You see quick bowling around the world but that was a prolonged spell of fast bowling."

"I don't know what the average was he was up around [90 mph] every ball. The atmosphere in the crowd, you could tell that it was pretty special. The crowd were certainly behind every ball."

"It was special to be a part of. I haven't been on the field when someone's bowled that quick consistently," he concluded. 

(Inputs from Sportstar)

 
 

By Kashish Chadha - 18 Aug, 2019

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