Boyd Rankin injury farce as hamstring problem is revealed to be cramp

 
3 January 2014

England's calamitous Ashes tour descended further into farce today when a suspected hamstring injury to Test debutant Boyd Rankin was deemed to be nothing more than cramp.

Rankin twice left the field after bowling a single ball of an over. The second time, during the evening session, Rankin appeared particularly distressed when walking off and was sent for a scan.

With England a bowler short, Australia recovered from 97 for five to 326 all out after being sent in by Alastair Cook. At the close, England were eight for one, with Michael Carberry dismissed for a duck.

Even though Rankin was restricted to just 8.2 overs in the day, a team representative said the scans had revealed no damage. He was also put through his paces in the build-up to the toss but England denied Rankin had needed a fitness test to determine his availability.

It is strange indeed that cramp should force a professional cricketer to miss a significant part of two sessions and the Warwickshire bowler’s demeanour when he had to go off the second time suggested he thought the problem was far worse.

Not until Australia’s second innings will the severity of the problem be revealed. If Rankin does not bowl, it will be hard to think that mere cramp had ruled him out of a Test match.

The 29-year-old is also a member of England’s one-day squad, with that series beginning in Melbourne on January 12.

Steve Smith scored 115 for Australia to inflict more damage on England along with Brad Haddin, who made 75 and has now scored at least a half-century in the first innings in every Test of the series.

There has been plenty of verbal sparring between England and Haddin, and Smith suggested this had benefited his team-mate.

“He enjoys getting into a bit of banter and thrives when the England players are coming at him,” he said.

Smith also denied any knowledge of the rumours that Haddin, 36, would retire at the end of this Test. “It’s news to me,” he added.

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