A tragic loss

I am compelled to write this post as I have been affected enormously by the tragic loss of Phil Hughes.

I was involved in cricket as a player, administrator and coach for over 40 years. I am without doubt what can be described as a cricket tragic. At the moment I am facing my own personal battles having recently being diagnosed as in the early stages of stage 4 melanoma so the future is somewhat unknown. The only reason I am providing this information to set the context as with the help of family and doctors I am coping quite well. But this tragic loss has shaken me and upset me more than anything else in my life apart from the loss of my parents.

I was never fortunate enough to speak with Phil but I first came across him at Sawtell in northern NSW when my son was selected in a northern NSW under 17’s team. Despite not playing in the carnival there was this little guy there with a broken hand who was also selected in the side. Strange I thought, until other parents there told me about this boys amazing record of scoring tons. His name was Phillip Hughes. The next time I saw him was when the selected side played at Bradman oval. He was run out in the first selection trial for not many but nevertheless made the NSW country side. The next day I saw for the first time his enormous talent as he carted the City attack to all parts of the oval and was selected for the NSW under 17s side. Not long after this I was at a regional CHS carnival where he scored a few hundreds, and was named player of the carnival. He had done the same at the carnival the previous year! I recall saying to my cricket club members and son that he would play for Australia by the time he was 21. A truly prodigious talent.

For some reason, and not just based on his talent, and despite not having personally met him, he made an impact on me more than any other young cricketer I have ever come across. My son is very proud to have played with and against him on a few occasions.

So I have followed his career closely and have felt his low points but mostly rejoiced at his success. In fact I was watching the Cricket Australia life streaming of the SA v NSW game and he was about 60 not out when I ventured out to the garden for a few hours. I remember thinking at the time at last he would be back where he belonged in the baggy green. But from then it all went horribly wrong. I feel for his family as I can not comprehend what it would’ve be like to lose a child, his SA team mates, in particular Tom Cooper who was also a North Coast of NSW junior and was batting with him at the time and who I understand is his flatmate in Adelaide, the NSW team which contained many of his mates, and of course Sean Abbott who was simply playing the game we all love.

I will hopefully watch many more games of cricket but I doubt it will ever feel the same.