England fast bowler Jofra Archer lamented felling Australian batsman Steven Smith with a short delivery on day four of the second Ashes series Test at Lord’s in London on Saturday.

Smith was struck on the forearm and the back of the neck by Archer’s bouncers. The latter floored the batsman, who retired hurt, returned to the crease – and was eventually ruled out of the remainder of the fixture due to concussion.

‘You are trying to get a wicket first. To see him go down, everyone stopped and everyone’s heart skipped a beat. After he got up he was moving around and you breathe a sigh of relief. No-one wants to see anyone getting carried off on a stretcher. It was a good challenge, a really good spell,’ Archer told Sky Sports.

‘For me, I wouldn’t like to see it end like that. I’ve never seen Smith get out of his own accord until yesterday, so I was just trying to rattle him. I was trying to get him out, I had a short-leg and a leg slip and he was trying to work the ball off his hip, so if one bounces a bit more it should go to short leg, or one of the guys waiting.’

Batsman Phil Hughes passed away after being struck by a bouncer during a first-class fixture in Australia four years ago.

‘You don’t ever want to see anyone carried off on a stretcher, or you don’t want to see them missing a day, or a game, especially with what happened a few years ago as well. It’s never a nice sight,’ added Archer.

Smith was substituted by fellow right-hander Marnus Labuschagne for the fifth and final day. The former captain’s participation in the third Test, which will start at Headingley in Leeds on Thursday, is in doubt.

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