Watch – Ball sails over the boundary rope for six after striking bowler's head

Luckily, the bowler passed the medical tests conducted outside the ground to rule out concussion fears.

Andrew Ellis is hit on the head with the ball when bowling to Auckland batsman Jeet Raval | Twitter

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:

The 29-year-old Raval scored a magnificent 149 off 153 deliveries, including 10 fours and 4 sixes, which helped Auckland reach 304/6 in their quota of fifty overs. In reply, Canterbury were bundled out for 197 in 37.2 overs with spinner Tarun Nethula claiming 4/43.

 
 

By Salman Anjum - 21 Feb, 2018

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