Watch: Ball goes for a six after hitting the bowler's head
In what is considered as one of the most unpredictable sports in the world, there is no dearth of stories that surprise the fans every now and then. From spectacular catches nobody thought could be taken, to MS Dhoni’s fast as light stumpings, cricket has given us several glimpses of unpredictability.
The latest story to join the list of cricket’s most bizarre incidents is one from a 50-over domestic match in New Zealand, the one in which a ball went for a six after hitting the bowler's head!
Auckland batsman Jeet Raval hit a delivery from bowler and Canterbury skipper Andrew Ellis with such brute force that it went for a six despite hitting the bowler's head. Ellis had to go through a concussion test before completing his over but was cleared free of any damage by a New Zealand Cricket release.
The incident took place in the elimination final of the Ford Trophy, in the 19th over of Auckland's innings. The umpire initially signalled a four, but later confirmed that the ball had crossed the rope. Canterbury lost the game by 107 runs.
"Whenever anybody gets hit in the head, your immediate concern is for the person, and I was worried Andrew had hurt himself," Raval said.
"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,” the batsman was quoted as saying by cricinfo.com.
In a game that has seen a very unfortunate death of a young and promising Australian cricketer, Phillips Hughes, Raval’s aforementioned worry is justified.