Young cricketer dies...

[Saitek]

It can happen so quickly - that poor lad who delivered it.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manc ... 652290.stm

I've beat the yells out of my sister in the past in serving in tennis - and it's a "whoops *laugh* sorry"!

I know a cricket ball is hard, but he must have had a weak heart to go like that. You'd never think someone could die playing cricket.  ::)

EDIT: typos

[C]

To be fair, 18 year olds are going to be able to get some pace on the ball. I was in the cricket nets recently for the first time in many years, and came out with a few bruises after being hit be a few medium paced balls, so I could imagine the damage that could be done if the ball was to (freakishly) catch you in the wrong place...

Very sad, and particularly hard for the youg guy who bowled the ball...

[Craig.]

Ben have you been drinking? Your spelling is as bad as mine

As for the story, it really doesn't surprise me. Alot of these clubs now play on the astro-turf like wickets which gives a vicious bounce. I've seen one of my old friends loose two teeth and suffer a shattered jaw from a fast bowl simply because he wasn't wearing a helmet. Perhaps its worth thinking about chest padding.

[Woodlouse2002]

Perhaps its worth thinking about chest padding.

Best to view it as a freak accident and move on in my opinion. If you added more protection to the players after every ball related injury then hockey players would be dressed up like American Footballers.

[Hagar]

Ben have you been drinking? Your spelling is as bad as mine

As for the story, it really doesn't surprise me. Alot of these clubs now play on the astro-turf like wickets which gives a vicious bounce. I've seen one of my old friends loose two teeth and suffer a shattered jaw from a fast bowl simply because he wasn't wearing a helmet. Perhaps its worth thinking about chest padding.

A friend of mine lost both his front teeth playing cricket long before astro-turf had been invented. He also broke his collar bone playing rugger. It's all part of the game & a few will unfortunately die while playing it. [quote]In 1624 Jasper Vinall becomes first man known to be killed playing cricket: hit by a bat while trying to catch the ball

[Craig.]

A friend of mine lost both his front teeth playing cricket long before astro-turf had been invented.

In this case we were just playing on the school fields, not even an astro-turf pitch.
Woody I am not suggesting bulky pads, just an almost sweater like thing with some foam in it, even a little makes a big differance.
And with todays advances in safety. To say its just part of the game is a bit irresponsible. I dont mean to be rude, but this isn't 1664 and if something can help save nasty injuries or even death, without having a significant impact on the game I am all for it. Some may want to call them wimps for wearing it, and in crickets case it is rare. But I know I would rather look like a wimp than end up being carried off in a body bag.

[Saitek]

Just seem so freak and weird. What I am saying is that it was so ordinary and he just went. You'd never think cricket could ever have that potential.

Craig - my spelling? I'll go and check it out. And I don't drink - but would I really be drunk at 9 in the morning?

[Hagar]

In this case we were just playing on the school fields, not even an astro-turf pitch.
Woody I am not suggesting bulky pads, just an almost sweater like thing with some foam in it, even a little makes a big differance.
And with todays advances in safety. To say its just part of the game is a bit irresponsible. I dont mean to be rude, but this isn't 1664 and if something can help save nasty injuries or even death, without having a significant impact on the game I am all for it. Some may want to call them wimps for wearing it, and in crickets case it is rare. But I know I would rather look like a wimp than end up being carried off in a body bag.

I have to agree with Woody. There are a few fatalities in all types of sports & pastimes but these are actually very rare. Injury is all part of some field sports & cricket has always been potentially dangerous. Read about the 'Bodyline' tour of Australia in 1932-33 where the whole object of the exercise was to aim at the batsmen. This was long before body padding & helmets were worn.

Although England had a number of fast bowlers in their squad, Harold Larwood is the name synonymous with the actual execution of Bodyline. He was at the peak of his career and a quick bowler who enjoyed the hard fast pitches of Australia. He made life hell for the Australian batsman during the series and took a bag full of wickets. However contrary to popular belief he only struck two of the Australian batsmen during the series, such was the myth of the man and became hated by the Australian public. Jardine too became unpopular with the Australian public and record crowds attended the Test matches to see how the Australians handled the bowling. Tension also developed between the two teams.

The 3rd Test at Adelaide was described in Wisden as the most unpleasant ever played. During the first Australian innings Captain Bill Woodfull was struck a powerful blow above the heart by Larwood. The very next ball Jardine moved his fieldsmen into the Bodyline positions. The crowd was incensed.

On the third day Australian batsman Oldfield was struck in the head and sustained a fractured skull. Once again the crowds went crazy and Jardine and Larwood were their main targets. Later that day the Australian Board of Cricket sent a telegram to England protesting about the use of Bodyline tactics.

PS. More people are probably killed or injured playing golf than cricket.

[Delta_]

The region the ball needs to hit to cause heart failure is small(ish) ( i know this from martial arts).  Putting a thick padding into the clothing to protect the region would prevent people having heart failure from being hit.

[jordonj]

From what I've heard, if you get hit in the heart while the heart is between beats, it's fatal...

A freak accident.

[Marlin]

I'll agree, it is a sad, very sad freek accident.
But is it time to register the balls, give training classes, and give out licences for this deadly sport?

Twice as many children are killed playing football in school than are murdered by guns. That

[BFMF]

ouch......That bites

[4_Series_Scania]

"The other lad felt quite guilty about what happened. He came to the funeral and saw us and that took a lot of guts."

Respect to the lad for that, that ,indeed, took guts.

[jordonj]

[quote]I'll agree, it is a sad, very sad freek accident.
But is it time to register the balls, give training classes, and give out licences for this deadly sport?

Twice as many children are killed playing football in school than are murdered by guns. That

[Hagar]

Can someone please explain to me what an 18 year-old boy accidentally killed by a cricket ball on the playing field has to do with firearms - or swimming pools for that matter.