Stokes will never hold himself back

ENGLAND captain Ben Stokes promised there will be no “holding back” when he recovers from his latest injury problems, insisting he is ready to keep digging deep for his country.

- RORY DOLLARD

Stokes was forced to watch the final stages of his side’s 423run thrashing by New Zealand in Hamilton from the sidelines, having pulled up with hamstring trouble while bowling his 37th over of the third Test.

He did not appear again, handing the captaincy reins to Ollie Pope in the field and deciding not to bat in a lost cause as England were finished off for 234 – barely a third of the way towards a vast target of 658.

England still took the series 2-1, their first success on these shores since 2008, and the last order of business before they depart is a scan for Stokes at a nearby hospital.

That is familiar territory for the 33-year-old, who badly tore the same left hamstring in August and also had major knee surgery on his left knee little more than a year ago.