Repeat of Phil Hughes-like incident; BBL star taken to hospital after getting hit on head
There were concerning scenes during Melbourne Stars training on Friday (January 5) when Sam Harper, the wicketkeeper-batter was involved in a frightening incident at the Melbourne Cricket Ground nets. The team confirmed in a statement to foxsports.com.au that Harper sustained a head injury while batting during training and was subsequently taken to the hospital in stable condition.
Tom Morris, the initial reporter of the incident, noted that eyewitnesses were visibly shaken and emotional. One observer even described the incident as "gruesome."
Sam Harper, who was the second-leading run-scorer for the Melbourne Renegades in the previous Big Bash League (BBL) season, joined the Melbourne Stars through a trade for the current edition.
Harper returned to the Stars team after having made his debut for the club in BBL|06. In the last edition, Harper scored 264 runs at an impressive strike rate of 141.87. However, he has failed to replicate his form in the ongoing BBL edition.
Concerning scenes at @StarsBBL training.
— Tom Morris (@tommorris32) January 5, 2024
Sam Harper was hit in the head while batting in the MCG nets. The good news is he’s breathing, in a stable condition and was conscious when he was taken to hospital in an ambulance.
Those who saw the incident were visibly shaken and…
Sam Harper has officially suffered eight concussions so far
Notably, Harper has a history of concussions and head injuries, with a previous incident involving a collision with Nathan Ellis during a game between the Renegades and Hurricanes in early 2020. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, this incident marked Harper's eighth concussion, with his initial head injuries occurring during football matches for Yarra Valley Grammar.
In 2017, Harper was at the center of another alarming incident during a Sheffield Shield match. On that occasion, he was accidentally struck on the head by Jake Lehmann's bat while wicketkeeping at the Adelaide Oval.
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The serious concussion from this incident led to a challenging hospital stay for Harper, who later had to undergo the process of relearning how to walk.
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