Bristol: England cricketer Ben Stokes lost his self-control and knocked two men unconscious in a street fight last September, a court heard on Monday as his trial for affray began.

He mocked two "lamboyant" gay men and flicked his cigarette at them before he engaged in the fight.

Stokes, acting in "revenge, retaliation or punishment", was involved in a "sustained episode of significant violence", prosecutor Nicholas Corsellis told a jury at Bristol Crown Court in southwest England.

Stokes, 27, is being tried alongside 27-year-old Ryan Ali and Ryan Hale, 28. They each deny the charge of affray.

They had all been drinking inside a Bristol nightclub. The fight took place outside after 2 am on September 25 last year, the prosecutor said. They were all involved in threatening and/or using unlawful violence towards each other, it is alleged.

Corsellis said only the defendants knew how the fracas began and it could have been stopped very quickly.

"During the incident, Mr Stokes lost his control and started to attack with revenge, retaliation or punishment in mind. Well beyond acting in self defence or defence of another," he said.

"He knocked Mr Hale unconscious and then - after time to pause for thought, to calm - he did exactly the same to Mr Ali.

"Mr Ali received significant injuries included a fractured eye socket and required hospital treatment."

Wearing a blue suit and red tie, Stokes sat in the far left of the dock, Hale in the middle and Ali on the far right.

AFP