‘Only a matter of time before somebody is killed’ in cricket danger zone

It’s the “recurring nightmare” faced by cricket bowlers, coaches and umpires every time they step into the nets and it’s time the game moved to protect its most valuable assets, writes PETER LALOR.

David Warner was left shaken after the incident. Picture: AP

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For a moment at The Oval it seemed the worst of eventualities was upon the game. A net bowler, struck in the head by a searing straight drive, lay motionless on the ground.

David Warner, who was there and held Phillip Hughes on that awful day five years before, was the batsman.

Others who were there at the SCG on that day and those who were not rushed to the fallen bowler’s aid and then paused from their activity. Worried for him and shaken by what they had seen. Training was halted as medical staff attended.

He survived and was being monitored in hospital, but it is only a matter of time before somebody is killed in this situation.

Cricket Australia is quietly working on the development of a suitable helmet which it hopes will be ready by the end of the year and England is working with the MCC on something similar.

David Warner was left shaken after the incident. Picture: AP

Those who watch elite teams in the nets have worried about this for years.

Coaches, umpires and bowlers are in the line of danger like never before with batsmen hitting the balls back at them harder than ever before.

A bowler’s follow through puts them in the line of the fire and dangerously close. A coach will often stand down the pitch to give throw downs.

England’s Jimmy Anderson says being hit in his follow through is a “recurring nightmare”.

Darren Lehmann wore a helmet when giving throw downs to players in the nets and often spoke about the dangers, warning that umpires and non strikers were in danger with the size of bats and power of modern batsmen.

Umpire Bruce Oxenford has a small shield he wear on his arm by way of protection and other umpires have donned helmets in the Big Bash. An umpire is in particular danger from a ball that deflects from a hand attempting a catch or from any part of the non striker.

Warner leaves the nets. Picture: AP

In 2014 an umpire was struck and killed while officiating in a match in Israel by a ball that is believed to have ricocheted from the stumps. Many others have been hit during international games at square leg and the bowler’s end.

The Australians carry a small mesh net which protects the head of the coach giving throw downs but allows them to fling the ball freely. When there was a left and right handed coach giving throw downs one must go without the protection.

The throwdowns are generally delivered from much closer than where a bowler delivers the ball. Coaches, whose reflexes have slowed down from the day when they played at the top level, have the briefest moment to react.

Even bowlers are in danger.

In 2017 bowler Luke Fletcher was lucky to survive when a ball was struck straight back at his head during the NatWest T20 Blast between the Notts Outlaws and Birmingham Bears. The blow kept him out of the game for a year but could have been much worse.

He is okay now I’m his brother they keeping him 48hrs just to make sure and check up on him 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/ZNbcuYPv3i

— sach the motive (@MotiveSach) June 8, 2019

A grade cricketer was struck on the side of the head during net practice at Adelaide in 2015 by Mitch Marsh. He was not seriously hurt but received stitches to his ear.

Net bowlers come in all shapes and sizes. They’re rounded up from nearby clubs to provide practice to the visiting batsmen who would wear out their own bowlers and the throwing arms of coaches. At The Oval some of them, although not the young man felled, were club cricketers who looked like they enjoyed a meal more than a training session.

Elite batsmen, uninhibited by the threat of being dismissed, can take an especially long handle to the deliveries which can at times be pedestrian at best.

Some net bowlers are young men who are pushing to reach the next level, but many are obviously way below the standard of the people they are providing practice to.

Of most concern are those with the quirky actions who follow through deep and are slow to raise their heads after delivering the ball.

The incident at the Oval stopped training for some time.

“Dave was pretty shaken up,” Aaron Finch said later. “The young guy seems to be in pretty good spirits at the moment, he’s obviously been taken to hospital and will continue to be assessed just to make sure everything is okay.

“It was a decent hit to the head. Hopefully everything keeps going well for the youngster and is back up and running shortly.

“It was tough to watch.”

The Australians travel with a doctor and have paramedics on standby at every practice.

“The medical staff that were on hand … and the paramedics at the ground did a really good job in getting there quickly to assess and make sure the right protocols and processes were put in place,” Finch said.

“It is a difficult one because you get some guys who come in who probably aren’t as well-equipped with their games to be able to deal with that.”