Nic Pothas will miss the rest of Hampshire's Championship match against Warwickshire after suffering a suspected fractured eye socket at the Rose Bowl yesterday.

The Hampshire wicketkeeper was standing up to the part-time off spin of Michael Carberry when the ball deflected off the flap of Jonathan Trott's right pad and struck him on his left cheekbone during the afternoon session of the opening day's play.

Pothas was replaced by John Crawley, and later by Tom Burrows while he had an X-ray at Southampton General Hospital before seeing a specialist last night.

Hampshire physio Andrew Nealon said: "It looks like a fracture to the eye socket. There's a lot of swelling at the moment and he can't really see out of his left eye.

"It's not an uncommon injury among wicketkeepers, it's part and parcel of the job, but it's very difficult to say how long he might be out for at this stage.

"It could be just a week or it might be several more than that."

Shane Warne, who was at slip when Pothas was struck in Carberry's third over, the 63rd, called Nealon from the dressing room immediately and play was delayed for five minutes before Crawley donned the gloves.

Nealon added: "With all due respect to Carbs, Nic wouldn't have been expecting the ball to explode but he didn't really stand a chance with the sudden change of angle from the deflection off the pad flap on his right leg."

After a further 16 overs and a rain break, Burrows replaced Crawley behind the stumps after driving to the Rose Bowl from Lancing College, where he had been playing for a Professional Cricketers Association XI against the Sussex Academy.

Nealon added: "Luckily Tom's phone was on! He took a catch a few overs after getting on and hopefully there'll be a few more of those in this match."

Right-hander Trott was caught at short leg for 50 in the same over that Pothas suffered the injury, but Warwickshire captain Darren Maddy made an unbeaten 121 after winning the toss to lead his side to 267-3.

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