England skipper Eoin Morgan treated for concussion after being struck on the helmet by a Mitchell Starc bouncer
Morgan retires hurt after helmet blow
A thunderous blow to the back of the helmet has forced England captain Eoin Morgan to retire hurt in the fifth one-day international at Old Trafford.
Recalled fast bowler Mitchell Starc delivered the searing bouncer which collected Morgan, who turned his head into the fifth ball of the sixth over of the day.
Morgan is going to leave the field after this blow. We hope he'll be OK #ENGvAUS http://t.co/lnYJYrlHHw
— cricket.com.au (@CricketAus) September 13, 2015
Morgan immediately removed his helmet and went to ground as non-striker Ben Stokes called for England’s medical staff, and after a thorough assessment, the captain walked off the field under his own power.
Image Id: ~/media/96E8711881A34DBB89FD10E02544CF46
Morgan is checked over by medical staff // Getty Images
The ECB confirmed Morgan was being treated for concussion and would take no further part in the match.
Eoin Morgan is being treated for concussion and will take no further part in today's match #ENGvAUS
— Samuel Ferris (@samuelfez) September 13, 2015
Starc was visibly shaken following the incident, with coach Darren Lehmann consoling the quick at fine-leg while his teammates reassured him in between overs.
The 25-year-old was on the field the day the late Phillip Hughes was struck on the back of the neck by a bouncer in a Sheffield Shield match at the SCG last summer. Hughes passed away two days later from the injury.
The Irish-born Morgan was struck also struck in the helmet in the third ODI at Lord’s by express fast bowler Pat Cummins.
There the ball thudded into Morgan’s grille over his right ear, but the left-hander was fine and continued batting with the same helmet.
Following the Lord’s loss Morgan switched helmet to the new model which features a honeycomb neck guard.
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It’s not the first time we’ve seen a batsman retire hurt this northern winter.
Veteran Australia opening batsman Chris Rogers retired hurt in the second innings at Lord’s after suffering a bout of extreme dizziness and took no further part in the match.
Rogers had been ruled out of the preceding tour of the Caribbean with concussion when he was felled by a bouncer in the nets prior to the first Test.
Rogers was struck twice more in the Ashes but it was deemed unrelated to the dizzy spell he suffered.
James Taylor, as vice-captain, will lead England if Morgan fails to take the field in the second innings.