Mudgeeraba Nerang cricket wicketkeeper Rick Davies rushed to hospital after catch goes wrong
A Gold Coast cricketer came within five minutes of death after a cricket catch went horribly wrong on Saturday.
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A Gold Coast cricketer came within five minutes of death after a cricket catch went horribly wrong on Saturday.
Stand-in Mudgeeraba Nerang wicketkeeper Rick Davies was struck in the chest by the ball late in the first innings of a Third Grade North clash against Logan Village.
The ball beat Davies’ gloves and cannoned into the wicketkeeper’s abdomen.
Davies reeled in the catch but suffered a bout of nausea over the next two overs.
After vomiting on the field an ambulance was called to transport the 44-year-old to Gold Coast University Hospital.
Davies was rushed into surgery to stem internal bleeding around the liver.
A four-hour procedure, involing clamping a ruptered artery via an incision on Davies’ thigh, saved his life.
Davies’ brother James described his family’s late-night wait to see if Rick would survive the night as a horrible experience.
“It was touch and go for a while there,” James said.
“The doctors said if the ambulance had been called five minutes later he would have been dead.
“Before they even took him in to surgery he needed five more litres of blood while he was sitting in the ambulance.”
The average human body only contains five litres of blood in total.
“They went in through the femoral artery and fixed it, as of the last scan,” Davies said.
“I visited him on Sunday morning. He was slightly groggy but he was joking about how good-looking the nurse was and watching the cricket on TV. That’s typically him.”
Davies thanked the wider Gold Coast cricket community for keeping Rick in their thoughts.
“Me and our family’s support from all the clubs has been overwhelming,” James said.
“I know Rick is going to play again - he’s not worried about that at all.
“It’s just one of those things.
“I think Tinder is going to very quiet for a few days (with Rick out of action).”
Davies’ teammates rallied around their mate to extend their winning streak in the division to six.
Bowler Darren Santer took five wickets, including the caught-behind that hospitalised Davies, while batsmen Darren Hodgson and Michael Clark posted half-centuries to chase down Logan Village’s 170 in the 31st over of the clash.
KOOKABURRA CUP RESULTS:
Southport Labrador 6-184 (C Perry 50) d. Runaway Bay 153(R McCarthy 36)
Queens 6-193 (N Hill 63) d. Colts JCC 121 (AA Rogers 36)
Palm Beach Currumbin 6-202 (C Mason 54) d. Coomera Hope Island 162 (C Anthony 29)
Broadbeach Robina 4-127 (T Keep 62*) d. Mudgeeraba Nerang 9-126 (MR Daly 36)
Burleigh 131 d. Surfers Paradise 98 (NJ Reardon 28)
Alberton Ormeau 7-226 (M Yiend 77) d. Helensvale Pacific Pines 124 (S Lickiss 46)
EARLIER
A Gold Coast cricketer has been rushed to hospital for emergency surgery after an attempt to catch a cricket ball went horribly wrong on Saturday.
Mudgeeraba Nerang wicketkeeper Rick Davies was struck in the chest by the ball in the 28th over of a Third Grade North clash against Logan Village.
The ball struck Davies in the sternum but he was able to reel in the catch before a bout of nausea set in over the next two overs.
An ambulance transported Davies to hospital where his condition took a turn for the worse and he was rushed into surgery.
Club president Matt Gill had no further information to release but called for the Mudgeeraba Nerang cricket community to keep Davies in their thoughts.
“Our hopes and prayers are with Rick Davies this afternoon who was hit in the chest catching a ball and has been rushed to hospital and is currently having emergency surgery,” Gill said.
“I have no more details than that but cross your fingers, your toes and hope he gets through this.”
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