County bowler hospitalised after head blow

EDGBASTON : Nottinghamshire seam bowler Luke Fletcher was admitted to hospital after being struck on the head by a ball during his side’s six-wicket defeat against Birmingham Bears in the NatWest T20 Blast at Edgbaston. The incident took place during fourth over of Birmingham’s reply to Nottinghamshire Outlaws’s 158 for six.

Fletcher got a very little time to react as his first ball of the night was driven ferociously straight back by Sam Hain and struck him on the head. Immediately after the hit, the seamer was given medical assistance, which also saw the match being suspended for half-an-hour.

Fletcher then walked off the field aided by a physio with a towel over his head and was subsequently taken to a Nottingham hospital for further examination, ESPNcricinfo reported. Later, fellow Nottinghamshire quick Jake Ball tweeted a photo of Fletcher, wearing an oxygen mask and giving the thumbs up, in the back of an ambulance. Following the match, Nottinghamshire Outlaws head coach Peter Moores said, “Luke has obviously got concussion but the reports we’re hearing are that they think he’s going to be fine.”