Auckland batsman Jeet Raval on Wednesday (February 21) nearly killed Canterbury bowler Andrew Ellis with a meaty blow during New Zealand's domestic 50-over competition named ‘Ford Trophy’.
In the 3rd preliminary final of the tournament between Auckland and Canterbury, Raval stepped out against a slower delivery from Ellis and struck a full-bloodied drive which smashed the bowler on the head and then sailed over the boundary rope for half a dozen.
Soon after hitting the shot, Raval ran towards Ellis to check his condition as doubts over concussion surrounded the bowler. Luckily, Ellis passed the medical tests conducted outside the ground to rule out concussion fears. In fact, he later returned to the field and bowled in the death overs. The 35-year-old pacer finished with figures of 2-52 in 7 overs, with one of his victims being Raval.
"Whenever anybody gets hit in the head, your immediate concern is for the person, and I was worried Andrew had hurt himself," Raval was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
"But, thankfully, it soon looked like he hadn't been injured by what had seemed a nasty blow. He's a true Cantab, a very tough nut, and it was a relief for me to see him carry on and complete the game without any visible effects. My hope for him is that he won't experience any delayed concussion. It's certainly not pleasant for anyone to experience that in a game," he added.
Watch the video below:
That is one tough nut. The stroke was recorded as 6, one bounce off Andrew Ellis's scone. Passed the concussion test & carried on....???? #FordTrophy pic.twitter.com/2zsfLCI3qd
— #NZIII (@MargotButcher) February 20, 2018