What’s the story?
Cricket is one of the most dangerous sports in the world, and with good reason. Often when spinners are bowling, there are a number of fielders who are stationed very close to the bat and they run the risk of being hit by the ball.
In this instance, Melbourne Renegades’ wicket-keeper Peter Nevill was at the end of a freak incident during the Big Bash League match between the Adelaide Strikers and the Renegades.
As veteran batsman Brad Hodge looked to pull a short ball off Thisara Perera’s bowling, he misjudged the pace, lost grip of his bat, and it landed on the top of Peter Nevill’s head.
In case you didn’t know...
There has been a steady call for more protective gear in cricket over the years with the recognition that a fatal incident is always just a blink away. Most recently, the umpires have been given protective gear which includes a helmet and an arm-guard.
Following the Phil Hughes saga, helmets for batsmen were beefed up with protective gear at the back that protects the neck as well.
Normally a wicket-keeper takes ample protective measures when facing up to pace bowlers, but rarely do you see them wear a helmet while standing back to the bowler, as was the case with Peter Nevill in this incident.
The heart of the matter
42-year-old Brad Hodge was looking to help his side Adelaide Strikers chase down the target set by the Renegades, and went ‘full-monty’ when presented with a loose half-tracker from Thisara Perera.
He didn’t recognize that there was a subtle change in the pace on the delivery, and it led to him losing his grip on the handle of the bat while swinging for the shot.
He made contact with the ball and it went towards the square-leg boundary, as the wicket-keeper Nevill was following the ball, the bat flew in the air, took a couple of rotations, and to the astonishment of everybody, crashed on the top of Nevill’s head.
What’s next?
It was reported that Peter Nevill has suffered a cut under his right eye and was taken out of the ground immediately after being hit. The good news was that he was conscious and talking to the medical staff.
Nevill could take solace with the fact that his side just stayed alive in the tournament as his teammates hung on and secured a 6-run win with him in the dressing room.
Sportskeeda’s take
We are glad that the early reports indicate that there is no further damage to Peter Nevill. The matter has to go down as a freak incident and will not merit any change of rules. Wicket-keepers often wear a helmet while standing close to the stumps, and opt for a cap while standing back.
We don’t expect this to change.
Hope that this is the last such freak incident we see.
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