All banter aside, terrible to hear the news about Phil Hughes.
He played for Worcestershire, next county to mine - Warwickshire.
If I can presume to speak for England cricket followers, our thoughts are with his family and all Aussie cricket fans.
Been watching this story develop since it happened. The TV was on all afternoon here as the announcement of his passing was made. Even the Arena'ettes watched most of it with me. Very tragic.
Awesome effort by John Orchard at the ground; have to feel for the bowler Sean Abbott, who did nothing wrong - he is apparently not taking it too well.
Phillip Joel Hughes (30 November 1988 – 27 November 2014) was an Australian Test and One Day International (ODI) cricketer who played domestic cricket for South Australia and Worcestershire. He was a left-handed opening batsman who played for two seasons with New South Wales before making his Test debut in 2009 at the age of 20. He made his One Day International Debut in 2013.[5]
Hughes scored his first Test century in March 2009, aged 20, in his second Test match for Australia, opening the batting and hitting 115 in the first innings against South Africa in Durban. This made Hughes Australia's youngest Test centurion since Doug Walters in 1965. In the second innings of the same match, Hughes scored 160, becoming the youngest cricketer in history to score centuries in both innings of a Test match (Australia won the match by 175 runs). On 11 January 2013, he became the first Australian batsman in the history of ODI cricket to score a century on debut, a feat which he achieved against Sri Lanka in Melbourne.[6]
On 25 November 2014, Hughes was hit in the neck by a bouncer from Sean Abbott, during a Sheffield Shield match at the Sydney Cricket Ground, causing a vertebral artery dissection that led to a subarachnoid hemorrhage. The Australian team doctor, Peter Brukner, noted that only 100 such cases had ever been reported, with "only one [prior] case reported as a result of a cricket ball".[7] Hughes was taken to St Vincent's Hospital in Sydney, where he underwent surgery, was placed into an induced coma, and was in intensive care in a critical condition.[8] He never regained consciousness, and he died on 27 November 2014, at age 25.[9]
Very sad and tragic indeed. I see he was born in Macksville, NSW , as was my father. Hope that something good and positive emerges in time - better head protection for batsmen, perhaps, although what happened appears to have been very unusual.
I hear that you guys down-under are placing old cricket bats outside the gates/driveways in respect of Phil Hughes - lovely tribute. My son has asked if we can - most certainly.
Amazing scenes from Adelaide today; Australia v India
63 seconds of applause as tribute before game started
Amazing reaction when Warner got to 63 - he looked to the heavens
When he got to 100 - he looked to the heavens and saluted upwards again; he and Clarke hugged in the centre of the wicket - they cried ... :drinks :empathy: