I don't know how much of this has made the press in the US, but it's a big story across the cricket playing world.
Australian international batter Phillip Hughes died overnight from brain injuries as a result of being hit the ball whilst batting in a domestic match. The video is on the link below - it doesn't show a great deal, but it's tough watching now that the consequences are known. He never regained consciousness after this point, despite being given mouth-to-mouth at the scene, rushed to hospital and being operated on to remove the swelling from the brain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzLch2SN1kI
He was a very talented batter - 20-odd caps for Australia in his locker before the age of 25, and the youngest guy to score centuries in both innings of a test match. The injury seems to have been something of a freak - he mis-timed a shot against a short-pitched delivery, and was hit on the upper neck, below where a helmet extends to. The cause of death was a "vertebral artery dissection" - essentially a key artery was compressed by the impact, and split to cause a huge bleed into the brain. Quite horrific.
Batters get hit around the head area more often in cricket than in baseball and helmets provide generally good protection. There are some dark stories of batters being hit on the head in the days before helmets (look up Ewen Chatfield and Phil Simmons for a couple of examples), but never at the top level has a death occurred in this way. The short pitched delivery targeting the upper body and head is a legitimate tactic in cricket, although there are restrictions on how often it can be used. There is a theory going around that the better protected modern cricketer plays more risky shots to short deliveries as a result of feeling "invincible" - historically they may have ducked out of the way instead.
In addition to the sympathy for Hughes' friends and family, the bowler of the delivery (Sean Abbott) also will need help and counselling. He's not set out to do anything more than pressurise the batter within the rules of the game. For him to have bowled the delivery that has led to the death of another player...well, he must be in some emotional turmoil right now.
Tragic, and all in the world of sport will be deeply affected.
Australian international batter Phillip Hughes died overnight from brain injuries as a result of being hit the ball whilst batting in a domestic match. The video is on the link below - it doesn't show a great deal, but it's tough watching now that the consequences are known. He never regained consciousness after this point, despite being given mouth-to-mouth at the scene, rushed to hospital and being operated on to remove the swelling from the brain.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzLch2SN1kI
He was a very talented batter - 20-odd caps for Australia in his locker before the age of 25, and the youngest guy to score centuries in both innings of a test match. The injury seems to have been something of a freak - he mis-timed a shot against a short-pitched delivery, and was hit on the upper neck, below where a helmet extends to. The cause of death was a "vertebral artery dissection" - essentially a key artery was compressed by the impact, and split to cause a huge bleed into the brain. Quite horrific.
Batters get hit around the head area more often in cricket than in baseball and helmets provide generally good protection. There are some dark stories of batters being hit on the head in the days before helmets (look up Ewen Chatfield and Phil Simmons for a couple of examples), but never at the top level has a death occurred in this way. The short pitched delivery targeting the upper body and head is a legitimate tactic in cricket, although there are restrictions on how often it can be used. There is a theory going around that the better protected modern cricketer plays more risky shots to short deliveries as a result of feeling "invincible" - historically they may have ducked out of the way instead.
In addition to the sympathy for Hughes' friends and family, the bowler of the delivery (Sean Abbott) also will need help and counselling. He's not set out to do anything more than pressurise the batter within the rules of the game. For him to have bowled the delivery that has led to the death of another player...well, he must be in some emotional turmoil right now.
Tragic, and all in the world of sport will be deeply affected.
