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RIP Phillip Hughes







Scoffers

Well-known member
Jan 13, 2004
6,844
Burgess Hill
I find it impossible to comprehend how anyone can die playing cricket at any level. RIP Phillip Hughes
 




Peter Grummit

Well-known member
Oct 13, 2004
6,769
Lewes
I remember seeing Philip bat at Hove on the 2009 tour. He had a unique crossbat style which sometimes got him into trouble, but he had such a terrific eye he often got away with the unorthodoxy.

The Aussies revere their sporting heroes more than anyone, and will take this very hard. I hope they do play the imminent test against India, it's important to 'get back on the horse' in my humble opinion. Philip would have been 26 on Sunday, which will make things even harder for his poor family.

Dreadful, dreadful: makes those of us who coach youngsters think very soberly about our responsibilities.

PG
 










Eeyore

Colonel Hee-Haw of Queen's Park
NSC Patron
Apr 5, 2014
23,609
It was an awful way to start the day. I once said that I couldn’t understand how there is such an outpouring of grief over someone a person has never met, but this event shows how short-sighted my view was. I can’t stop thinking about it.

I remember, back in 2009, when Phil Hughes first arrived on these shores. He had been given to Middlesex prior to the Ashes series. This more than ruffled a few feathers. Here was a 20 year old opener, who in his first series had taken two centuries off the South Africans on their own soil, and he was being given a chance to establish himself in English conditions. He scored a century in first match and proceeded to cane the county bowling. Yet Andrew Strauss felt that this could also work to England’s advantage as his technique was unusual, certainly different to that of classical Australian left handers, such as Mark Taylor, and England proceeded to do their homework.

When the series came about, Andrew Flintoff exposed him from around the wicket with some very tight bowling and Phil was dropped after the Second test.

He played against us in a couple of series after that, without success, but it could always be sensed that someone so young had time on their side. It appears that his recent form suggested a recall for the home series against India was on the cards. And now this.

Cricket is a sport very much in touch with it routes. And Phil’s death will reverberate far beyond the first-class arena. Having played on the village circuit for years, I am already aware of many of my fellow and former playmates who are mortified by what has happened. The game, like many sports, may always be dangerous, but events such as this are unthinkable.

I once said that the greatest sight in sport was an Australian walking back to the pavilion in an Ashes series. This was not said out of any hatred, for our rivalry with them is not based in such emotion, it is more the rivalry that siblings, who really quite like each other and have a strong connection feel. And yesterday one of them died.

My heart goes out to his family and friends, and all involved in Australian Cricket. And not least Sean Abbott, who whilst totally blameless, must be looking down at the pieces of his life right now.

Tis a sad day.

RIP.

Youtube coverage of Phil Hughes two test centuries at Durban in 2009, aged 20, in his Second Test.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umD0QJQfxKg
 
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Pavilionaire

Well-known member
Jul 7, 2003
30,592
A black day for cricket. RIP Phil.
 


West Hoathly Seagull

Honorary Ruffian
Aug 26, 2003
3,540
Sharpthorne/SW11
I can only echo what everyone else has said - a desperate, tragic loss for the family and for Abbott. It reminds me in a way of Ayrton Senna's death, from being hit on the back of the head by a tyre. I can't remember a fatal accident on the cricket field before. The closest was Euan Chatfield, a New Zealander who was hit by England's Peter Lever. He swallowed his tongue and was very fortunate that England physio Bernard Thomas was on hand and knew exactly what he was doing.
 


piersa

Well-known member
Apr 17, 2011
3,155
London
This has ruined my day completely. Hate to think how long it will affect the lives of the people involved. Only time will help them learn to live with this horrendous tragedy.
 




Barrel of Fun

Abort, retry, fail
Incredibly sad news. I awoke at 0500 and checked my tablet and found a notification from the Guardian relaying the tragic news. I wasn't able to sleep after that.

An incredibly rare injury and so sad to lose someone so young in such freak circumstances. Thoughts with all those involved and his friends and family.

I dearly hope that Abbott can come to terms with what has happened. How many times will he wish he had never bowled that ball? He's going to need some deep inner strength and support to get through this. Thoughts with him especially.
 


vegster

Sanity Clause
May 5, 2008
27,897
Incredibly sad news. I awoke at 0500 and checked my tablet and found a notification from the Guardian relaying the tragic news. I wasn't able to sleep after that.

An incredibly rare injury and so sad to lose someone so young in such freak circumstances. Thoughts with all those involved and his friends and family.

I dearly hope that Abbott can come to terms with what has happened. How many times will he wish he had never bowled that ball? He's going to need some deep inner strength and support to get through this. Thoughts with him especially.

Indeed, a tragic series of events, if the ball had been a little faster or slower or the trajectory a slightly different angle it would have passed in to history unremarked. In a similar situation, Chris Eubank never really threw another full power punch after the punch that felled Michael Watson.
 


Thunder Bolt

Silly old bat
Incredibly sad news. I awoke at 0500 and checked my tablet and found a notification from the Guardian relaying the tragic news. I wasn't able to sleep after that.

An incredibly rare injury and so sad to lose someone so young in such freak circumstances. Thoughts with all those involved and his friends and family.

I dearly hope that Abbott can come to terms with what has happened. How many times will he wish he had never bowled that ball? He's going to need some deep inner strength and support to get through this. Thoughts with him especially.


It was a freak accident. It was a vertebral artery dissection, where the balls struck him at the top of his neck, the artery was compressed, causing it to split which then caused a massive bleed into his brain. There have only been 100 cases documented before and one previously as a result of a cricket ball.
 




BlockDpete

Well-known member
Oct 8, 2005
1,143
Terrible news indeed, RIP Phil and thoughts go out to Sean Abbott.

Just goes to show, that we can never know whats around the corner. Live for now.
 






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