Ellis ‘annoyed’ at head-shot six
Andrew Ellis says he has had no ill-effects after being struck on the head by a boundary-bound six but he wants New Zealand Cricket to be ‘‘proactive’’ about player protection.
The Canterbury all-rounder was bowling his first over when he copped a drive to the head from Auckland batsman Jeet Raval in the Ford Trophy elimination final in Auckland on Wednesday.
Ellis told Stuff he ‘‘couldn’t believe it went for six’’ was more ‘‘annoyed at conceding the runs’’ than worrying about his knock.
But the Canterbury captain said on Thursday he felt lucky to escape injury and would look at protective head gear options over winter.
Ellis, 35, said he would consider adopting ‘‘some of the innovations that Warren Barnes from Otago brought into the game’’ this season. Barnes and Otago Volts coach Rob Walter combined to design the headgear, which resembles a baseball umpire’s visor and a track cyclist’s helmet.
‘‘For guys like me who tend to bowl at the death and try to bowl yorkers, it’s probably a prudent move,’’ Ellis said. ‘‘I think it’s a wider discussion for New Zealand Cricket and the Players Association to be proactive about things.’’ Ellis said it would be better for Kiwi cricket authorities to get on the front foot and ‘‘be the world leader around this issue’’ rather than being wise after the event following a serious injury.
He said ‘‘a lot of steps’’ were put in place after Australian cricketer Phil Hughes died after being struck in the neck by a bouncer in 2014.
‘‘But it’s better to try and be a little innovative here.’’
Concussion is becoming more of an issue for cricket to confront. Nottinghamshire seamer Luke Fletcher was struck on the head by a driven ball while on his followthrough in an English county T20 match last July. Fletcher was hospitalised overnight.
Ellis’ Canterbury teammate Chad Bowes, a top-order batsman, missed the one-day final on Wednesday after suffering a couple of concussions this season.
Ellis was philosophical about his own incident, saying: ‘‘I’m fine, there was no need to bounce back, it was business as usual’’.
‘‘Obviously, with a head knock, the physio has to come out and go through the concussion tests. He asked me the questions and I was able to give the right answers and carried on.’’
Ellis was surprised that the ball had flown over 70m for a six because Colin Maiden Park had big boundaries.
Undeterred, he continued at the bowling crease, taking two wickets for 52 runs off seven overs.
The former Black Cap thought nothing of the incident till he ‘‘got back to the dressing room [at the innings break] and saw it plastered all over social media’’.
He ‘‘definitely didn’t expect’’ the level of public interest with the video of the incident broadcast on news sites throughout New Zealand and Australia.
‘‘If it hadn’t gone for six, it wouldn’t have got the same exposure.’’
Ellis, who made his first-class debut for Canterbury in the 2002-03 season, had not experienced anything like it in the past.
‘‘I don’t know how many balls I’ve delivered in top-level cricket over the past 15 years. You’re bound to have a close shave at some point.’’