Advertisement

Adam Voges OK despite sickening head blow

Adam Voges was hit by a bouncer which left him concussed.

Adam Voges was hit by a bouncer which left him concussed. Photo: AAP

Memories of Phillip Hughes were brought to the fore on Thursday when Test batsman Adam Voges copped a sickening blow to the head while batting at the WACA Ground.

Voges was struck on the back of the helmet while attempting to evade a Cam Stevenson bouncer shortly before lunch on day one of Western Australia’s Sheffield Shield clash with Tasmania.

The 37-year-old immediately dropped to his hands and knees after being hit, with players and medical staff rushing to his aid.

An eerie hush swept across the ground as concerned spectators and teammates looked on.

Voges, who was on 16 at the time, was helped off the ground by two trainers, before being diagnosed with concussion.

Although he didn’t need to go to hospital, Voges is highly unlikely to take any further part in the match.

“He’s OK. He’s got a bit of a headache, and he’s not feeling 100 per cent. But he’s fine,” WACA general manager of high performance Ben Oliver said.

“There was no loss of consciousness. There was no neck injury. He’s been assessed.

“He’s being monitored by our medical officer here, and they’ve deemed there’s no need for him to go to hospital.

“He’s resting at the moment, watching the game.”

It’s the second serious concussion Voges has suffered this year.

In May, Voges was struck in the back of the head in bizarre fashion while captaining English county side Middlesex.

On that occasion, Voges was struck by his own teammate after a boundary had been scored.

Ollie Rayner threw the ball back, but it sailed over the wicketkeeper’s head and hit Voges.

Voges was taken to hospital, and said he felt groggy for about 10 days afterwards.

“It felt like I was waking up with a hangover. It wasn’t until 10 days after it (happened) that I started to feel right again,” Voges said of that incident.

Voges’ latest head blow comes less than two years after Hughes died when he was struck in the neck by a bouncer during a Sheffield Shield clash.

The coronial inquest into Hughes’ death found the batsman was wearing outdated protective equipment, and that the medical response to his accident was “sub-optimal”.

Oliver said Voges was wearing the appropriate head gear, even though it didn’t contain a non-compulsory neck guard.

“He’s wearing the current model helmet that’s compliant with the British standards,” Oliver said.

Two ambulances were present at the WACA on Thursday, but neither were needed.

-AAP

Stay informed, daily
A FREE subscription to The New Daily arrives every morning and evening.
The New Daily is a trusted source of national news and information and is provided free for all Australians. Read our editorial charter
Copyright © 2024 The New Daily.
All rights reserved.