Phillip Hughes dies, aged 25

Furry muff.

skully wrote:I did think of Root but his average of 50.94 (v Hughes' 32.65) after 22 Tests hardly suggests "didn't quite deliver".

Steve Finn? Early promise but form fell away (to say the least) but now getting back in the international team?

Well, Ben Hollioake was strangely similar, in fact - debuted very young, made an instant impact (though in ODIs rather than Tests), faded from the picture, and was just getting back in the frame at the time of his untimely demise.

Obviously there was a lot of shock when it happened within the English game, but can't really remember it having an impact beyond cricket itself. Although had it happened on the field of play, as I said before, perhaps it would have been different?

On a much smaller scale, the death of Scott Mason in Tassie massively affected his team-mates and the local cricket community.

(Scott, a young and promising State player, collapsed and died while practising with his team-mates in the nets).

There was a massive outpouring of grief (and anger) after the death of David Hookes, too.

Yeah, how quickly we forget. The nation was shocked at Pumpkinhead's demise. In fact, the Hookes situation is an excellent analogy to the Hughes tragedy, except that Hookesy had long retired, while Hughes was still active.

Look at their respective records:

Hookes - 23 Tests - 1306 runs - average 34.36 - 1 ton
Hughes - 26 Tests - 1535 runs - average 32.65 - 3 tons

Both were Shield prodigies but didn't quite deliver in Tests, and both died in tragic accidents.

Re the debate started by BD....I think that when any young person dies it strikes those around them with acid sharpness...when that young person is something of a public figure it adds to broader community angst at a life cut short...in this case the death was on a sporting field and the cause was statistically improbable...I agree the media reaction has been a bit ott but the human reaction of those who knew Hughes and the broader cricket and sporting fan community has not....

skully wrote:Yeah, how quickly we forget. The nation was shocked at Pumpkinhead's demise. In fact, the Hookes situation is an excellent analogy to the Hughes tragedy, except that Hookesy had long retired, while Hughes was still active.

Look at their respective records:

Hookes - 23 Tests - 1306 runs - average 34.36 - 1 ton
Hughes - 26 Tests - 1535 runs - average 32.65 - 3 tons

Both were Shield prodigies but didn't quite deliver in Tests, and both died in tragic accidents.

I'm not sure Hookes's death was a tragic accident, seeing as a deliberate punch from a bouncer caused his demise.

There will doubtless be a minute's silence and black armbands at Adelaide, but after that it should be business as usual. Time to move on. I guess there will be applause when a batsman gets to 63 (which is over the top, imo).

Pumpkinhead's demise was a tragedy...another in the stoopid arbitrary nature of life deaths.

I think Trev is more taking issue with the word "accident". He's probably right, though one punch deaths were not as common then as they seem to be now.

skully wrote:
I've been trying to think of a similar player to Hughes from England. A prodigy who didn't quite deliver. None of a similar Test longevity (20+ Tests) comes to mind, although I did think of Mark Lathwell. He was prodigious for a couple of seasons, had an unconvenional technique but was sorted out very quickly by Big Merv.

Perhaps our English colleagues can think of an appropriate comparison to Phillip Hughes, and how his passing may have affected your nation?

Skulls, I think you've "boxed in" the task a bit by stipulating "prodigy" AND "20+ Tests" AND (I think) sudden death, too.

Though Lathwell, whom you cite, played only 2 Tests, I see.

In the broader picture, the history of England Test cricket is littered with "prospects who didn't [quite] deliver" - it's the debilitating international condition that most England cricket fans grew up with, and still suffer from.

The Hicks, Rampses, Owais Shahs, and right back to CB Fry, David Denton and more arguably Johnny Tyldesley. There are a good few who started - more or less young - with a bang, and declined thereafter, sometimes v steeply. Cook may already be moving that way, like his predecessor as Test skipper. Compton N, Robson ...? some of these remain to be seen. Frank Hayes is another that springs to mind from further back. Started with a blaze, crashed and burned. John Crawley might have become a better batsman than he did. What of Graham Stevenson, Norman Cowans ...? Alex Tudor and a number of others, with careers ruined by injuries. Simon Jones could surely have played a key part in a few more series had his body stood up to the pounding.

I suppose closer to your conception of somewhat unfulfilled potential - and tragic death - might be Colin Blythe, Major Booth, Ken Farnes ...

But it's difficult to fit all the exact same specs as Phillip Hughes.

Ian Peebles zoomed to international success as a student - and then lost his leggie, leaving only his thus far more predictable googly. Till then, he had been one of the few to fox Bradman with any regularity.

(DGB's pre-eminence depended on unusually quick eyes and coordination, allowing unusually fast decisions and footwork. His two weaknesses - too little exploited! - were hence deceptive flight and guile (a well-disguised googly could catch him guessing wrongly - most notably in the case of Hollies, but Peebles, Robins, etc.), and more famously, well-targeted high pace, which even his fast eye and footwork struggled to cope with. And was thus "a leveller" of his unusual skills.

But thankfully, though Peebles lost his legspin delivery, he kept his life - and pen.

Thoughtful stuff as always, Pete. I guess I was looking for someone who was persevered with for 20-odd Tests after being a child/County prodigy, but never really made the Test Grade.

Hick is probably as good a match as any from an English perspective. He averaged a Hughes-esque 31.32, although he played 65 Tests (crikey, I had no idea he was tried for so long!!). Perhaps if Phillip Hughes wasn't taken so young he would've ended up with a very Hick-esque Test record.

Thankfully Hick didn't meet the 4th spec.

To draw an analogy to other areas of life, the Jill Meagher case was emotive but some people do believe that it attracted much greater and lasting publicity than other heinous crimes with victims deserving of equal outrage by the public, legal and government reactions.

I think the innocent sweetness of Jill Meagher's smiling face was what captured the public's heart. Not many Aussies would struggle to answer "who is this?"



And the fact that she was a charming and welcomed Irish "visitor" to our country, who was taken by a lecherous criminal doubly outraged the community.

the media made a point of capturing the publics interest cos she was a looker. lot easier to sell papers with a pretty face

and if it got more attention focused on violence against women & womens safety issues the relative imbalance doesnt really matter that much

skully wrote:... Hick (...) played 65 Tests (crikey, I had no idea he was tried for so long!!). ...

It was indeed an extended run. Two main factors, I think:

1. He was so prolific, and generally looked so majestic, in county cricket, the selectors couldn't believe he wouldn't eventually come good. But he spluttered much of the time. I don't think this is chiefly because of the step up in class that does for some cricketers entering the Test arena (though the shift to facing the best opposition obviously "helps"). He may be the classic case of the "rabbit in the headlights". He tended to exude fear from the eyes down. It perhaps did not help that his international career was 7 years in the waiting (qualification period): by the age of about 26, there was too much at stake for him.

2. It was a thin period for English batting, esp of any solid technical assurance. Poor standards of batting coaching, all down the line. I think Hick's Test career almost completely coincided with Ramps', who was very similar in largely unfulfilled Test potential - and legendary achievements at regional level. There wasn't enough competition for places that Hick was a goner, in other words.

One thing I learned about PJH yesterday: he had a cousin called Nino. He was a quarter (at least) Eye-tie.

The first/most Italian ever to play for Oz?

Divva is a full on iThai if you count JAMODIs

What about Velleta?

Malteaser

I've thought a bit more about some sort of perpetual trophy to 'honour' Hughes or at least his memory ...

I would like to see either:

1) an NSW v SA "Hughes trophy' Shield game to open the Australian FC season

or maybe better still

2) an OZ incumbent ODI players v 'Phil Hughes Memorial side' ODI game at Sydney, under the roof, to totally rule out weather interference; to either open or close the cricket season. The Phil Hughes side could be composed of a combination of legends (retired or no longer in Tests) and 'rising stars'.

apparently* hughes used to provide some kinda unofficial sponsorship of a local junior every year.  so how about making it national and official?  one country kid from each state given all the financial and practical support needed to further their progress

Nice touch by skipper

"Shaun McArthur, captaining Haddon, a Ballarat club side, in their match against VRI Delacombe, was unbeaten on 220 - 11 short of the club record score - when he retired and declared the innings at 408 which was Hughes' Test cap number.

As the players left the field they noticed the innings had also lasted 63 overs - the score which Hughes had reached at the SCG and which has become a central figure in the tributes with '63 not out forever'. That has been reflected in scorecards with the initial retired hurt being changed to not out.

"We thought it would be a nice tribute if we happened to land on 408 ... it wasn't until we came off the ground we saw it was the 63rd over as well," McArthur told 3AW radio. "It was amazing."

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408 off 63 overs - spooky.

lardbucket wrote:I've thought a bit more about some sort of perpetual trophy to 'honour' Hughes or at least his memory ...

I would like to see either:

1) an NSW v SA "Hughes trophy' Shield game to open the Australian FC season

or maybe better still

2) an OZ incumbent ODI players v 'Phil Hughes Memorial side' ODI game at Sydney, under the roof, to totally rule out weather interference; to either open or close the cricket season. The Phil Hughes side could be composed of a combination of legends (retired or no longer in Tests) and 'rising stars'.

The Hughes Shield? Beats renaming it after a brand of milk anyway...

ABC RN has just done a show on the public and social media response to Phillip Hughes' death, culminating in a sneering analysis of 'Grief Lite' and 'manufactured grief' ... with the presenter thanking his guests at the end for their contribution to the discussion of the death of Australian cricketer 'Paul Hughes'.

An early effect of editorial cuts?