Woakes Replaces Stokes For England

27 May 2016 | Cricket
All-rounder Chris Woakes will replaced the injured Ben Stokes in the England team to play Sri Lanka at Durham starting today.

Woakes, 27, is likely to bat at number eight with Moeen Ali and Jonny Barstow both moving up in the batting order.

It comes after Stokes jarred his knee in the first Investec Test at Headingley and will now miss the remaining two Tests and five ODIs at Sri Lanka – including the Royal London ODI at The SSE SWALEC, Cardiff.

England captain Alastair Cook confirmed it would be Woakes, and not replacement seamer Jake Ball – who came into the lineup.

“I don’t think we’ve seen the best of him in an England shirt but he is in fine form,” said Cook, after Woakes took 9/36 for his county this week.

The Warwickshire man has played six Tests for England, taking eight wickets and scoring 129 runs.

Visiting captain Angelo Mathews, meanwhile, wanted to see a rejuvenated Sri Lanka after their heavy loss in Leeds.

He said: “The first game was an embarrassing one for us. We have to flush it out of the system – the more we think about it, the more it disappoints us.

“Forget Headingley. We need to win the next Test to stay alive in the series.”

The second Test gets underway at Chester-le-Street 11am.

England will face Sri Lanka in Cardiff on 2nd July in the fifth and final Royal London One-Day International. Tickets are priced from £35 are available here