For non-cricket fans, Phillip Hughes is a 25 year old Australian cricketer who was hoping to get on the test side. He was hit in the head by a bouncer in a Sheffield Shield match on Tuesday, collapsed and had surgery, but never recovered. He died a couple of hours ago.

A very sad day for Australian cricket and the game in general. I should imagine the bowler will be inconsolable, as I believe they were mates off-field.

I have been hoping he would pull through, such a sad loss RIP Phillip.

Such a young age.

As a big cricket fan it's so sad.
A big loss.
How must the bowler be feeling ? Thoughts are with him too.

Very sad news.

Yes, thinking of the guy who bowled the ball too.

Dave G

My thoughts and condolences go out to the family of Phillip Hughes, it is an absolute tragic accident.

My thoughts are also with Sean Abbot, the bowler, who must be absolutely dumbstruck today, and not knowing what to do. This could finish him as a bowler.

As an ex-cricketer and an ex-bowler, albeit a medium pacer, I cannot even begin to think what must be going through Sean Abbots mind today. I did hit batsmen when I was bowling, but fortunately not on the head, wasn't fast enough to get it that high, but I did hit them in the chest area with a rising ball and a couple of them did go down, but fortunately only winded, your heart does leap when they groan, hold their chests and sink to their knees. But you have to put it out of your mind and bowl the next ball, usually hoping that a.) You've intimidated them enough to get them out and b.) That you don't hit them again and do any more damage. Normally with your skipper in your ear saying "That's the one, you've got him now"

I've been hit in the face with a cricket ball, but that was my own stupidity, trying to hook an accidental beamer from a friend, getting it horribly wrong and the ball pinged off the shoulder of the bat, straight into my face, boy it hurt!!!! But again he wasn't chucking it down at nearly 100mph!!!

Regards

Neal.

Incredibly sad news - I couldn't believe it when I saw it this morning.

Must be devasting for his family and friends and as others have said for Sean Abbott.

He seemed such a talented cricketer and had spells playing for various county sides in England - in particular Middlesex were blown away by how good he was at such a young age (19 or 20 when he came over and scored 3 centuries in 5 or 6 games).

A terrible tragedy for both players who were doing nothing other than play a game of cricket. Phillip Hughes is a great loss to the sport, and Sean must be wondering whether he can continue.

What a tragic accident my heart felt sympathies go out to Phillip Hughes family and to the bowler Sean Abbott who must be devastated.

Ray

I felt very sad when I heard it on the news this morning, I also feel for the bowler.

Very sad indeed. Sport is a wonderful thing that gets us all worked up, but this kind of thing puts it all into perspective.

A tragedy that something like this could happen in a game of cricket, I like everyone else is shocked and saddened by this incident, the poor bowler must be devastated.

Freak accident or not I may be sticking my neck out by making this comment but I could never understand why bowlers are allowed to bowl bouncers, the object of the game is to hit the wickets so why not aim at them instead of aiming at the batsman.

To my knowledge the only deaths in sport usually involve a car, motor bike, boat or aeroplane, I have never heard of anyone getting killed in tennis, golf, soccer, rugby, baseball, basketball or any other ball sport, I guess something like this had to happen one day when someone throws a rock solid ball at another person, I just hope that they ban the bouncer but they wont.

Horrible news about Phil Hughes, it has even made the TV news in the US. I 100% agree with long bridge that this is thankfully a rarity - in cricket at least. Even before the use of batting helmets in cricket I am not aware of a death due to a cricket ball.

Unfortunately the same cannot be said for one sport which unfortunately stands apart in terms of danger to participants which is American Football. I have several friends and work colleagues who do whatever they can to dissuade their kids from playing at high school. The quote below is from the New York Daily news and makes sobering reading:

"Each year in the U.S. an average of a dozen high school and college football players die during practices and games, according to a new study that finds heart conditions, heat and other non-traumatic causes of death are twice as common as injury-related ones.

Researchers reviewed data from the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research and found 243 football deaths recorded between July 1990 and June 2010.

One hundred of the fatalities resulted from an underlying heart condition, 62 were due to a brain injury - typically a subdural hematoma - and 38 were from heat-related causes, according to findings published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine."

Thanks for that, Mike. Apparently the impact of the ball on Hughes' neck tore open the vertebral artery - subarachnoid haemrrhage is the medical term - and is rare. This was the first one the hospital had ever encountered.

As you probably know the Aussies are cricket mad, and the mood today is very sombre wherever you go. One of the headlines reads: "Phillip Hughes, Australian Test cap 408, will be forever 63 not out"

I am just one of those people who do not like cricket and many other sports.

BUT, it is heart breaking to see one so young, so virile and attached to a game losing his life at such an early stage of his life.

My sympathies go out to all involved because everyone must feel and see just how small the fraction between life and death really is!

Peter.

Good to see Elton John dedicate a song at his concert in Germany at the weekend.

Funeral on Wednesday at Macksville, a small country town on the north coast of NSW, his home town.

They'd better be prepared... extra flights on, all Aussie cricket royalty going, including the Indian Test side who Australia are about to play.

For forum members who are not hugely into sport, I enjoy watching cricket, but am not fanatical. However, this accident has affected the nation here, and the mood is sombre.

I sit on the fence regarding loyalty to either Aussies or England... depends where I'm sitting!

But cricket is so much a part of the Aussie way of life (I'm a teacher, and have often umpired) that this incident has brought the nation together.