Pietersen's knee given all clear

Kevin Pietersen shows the pain after being hit on his knee at Chester-le-Street © Getty Images

Kevin Pietersen has been cleared to play the remaining matches of the NatWest Series after a scan on his left knee revealed no serious damage. He was hit during the second match at The Oval and again at Chester-le-Street, by Farveez Maharoof, leaving him in clear discomfort as he hobbled around the field.

Pietersen never looked comfortable at the crease during his brief innings in the third one-day international, where he made just six, and fell to a flashing cut off Lasith Malinga shortly after being struck. When England fielded they were forced to try and hide Pietersen at slip or on the boundary.

Andrew Strauss tried to ask the umpires for a substitute fielder, but as Pietersen had entered the match carrying the injury it was rightly denied. Pietersen has been troubled by his knee since the tour of India but after he was struck for the first time against Sri Lanka, at The Oval, he insisted he was willing to battle through the pain.

"We've lost Flintoff, Giles, Jones, Vaughan and Anderson so if I went down as well it's not going to help matters is it." After the second blow on Saturday, he again looked in serious pain and Dean Conway, the England physio, spent a couple of minutes on the ground. However, a scan revealed no fracture and Pietersen will be part of the squad when they join up at Old Trafford for the fourth match on Wednesday.