New South Wales bowler Sean Abbott cradled the injured Phillip Hughes in his arms when the 25 year old collapsed on the pitch after being struck by one of Abbott’s bouncers. It was a ball that the twenty-two year old had bowled thousands of times before. But, sadly, while the delivery was the same, the outcome was tragically different.
Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland has labelled the death of Phillip Hughes a ‘freak, freak incident’. According to my Twitter and Facebook feed, we all agree. Yet I doubt Sean Abbott finds solace in those words.
I can’t even begin to fathom what the young all-rounder must be feeling. There’s talk in the media about how this may affect Sean Abbott. There’s even speculation this might end his cricketing career. I hope not, and here’s why.
Image courtesy of Instagram
You see, my love for cricket began in primary school. I started attending Saturday morning coaching classes at the ‘Gabba when I was 11 years old. I was the only girl and the boys had to be convinced to throw the ball to me. Two years later and unbeknown to my mother, my father would come to my high school, tell my teachers that I had an appointment, and then whisk me away to the cricket. I’d have casual clothes in my school bag so the television cameras wouldn’t capture my truancy for the nuns at All Hallows School to see.
I grew up at the ‘Gabba. As a young teen, school days or not, I attended most Sheffield Shield games and every Test match, and I never missed an international one-dayer. I watched in awe as the likes of Lillee, Lawson, Holding and Garner delivered perfectly aimed balls towards their rivals. Those balls rarely bounced as high as they do these days, especially on the other interstate wickets, but their pace, at times, was breath-taking and their accuracy exhilarating. They made cricket exciting, strategic, challenging, and they left me wanting more.
I was a cricket fanatic who was able to rattle off bowling stats better than I could ever regurgitate my school history or geography studies. Cricket was, and still is, a big part of my life. I have watched as players that few have heard of rise through the ranks and earn a place in our national team. It excited me to spy their talent before most others did. From afar, I would be quietly proud of their emerging achievements.
The cricketing landscape has changed in subsequent years. The grounds, the pitches and the game’s form have evolved. Instead of the Sheffield Shield, it’s now Twenty-20 that is inspiring many young cricket fans. I first noticed Sean Abbott in his Twenty-20 debut a few years ago. New South Wales beat Victoria at the MCG by 17 runs. The teenage Abbott was the best of the NSW bowlers with 2/25. It wasn’t an earth-shattering effort by any means, but I remembered the name. Abbott then made his first class debut later that year, 2011, in a drawn match against South Australia. Phillip Hughes opened the batting for NSW in that game.
Image courtesy of Instagram
Yes, just when you think this tragedy couldn’t be any sadder, you realise how close Hughes and Abbott must have been. They’d been teammates; they’d celebrated together; they’d shared a dressing room; they’d travelled together; they’d shared the ups and downs of cricketing life, and probably just life in general.
I didn’t know Phillip Hughes, and I don’t know Sean Abbott. But I do know cricket, and I know I love it. I love it, even though the boys at cricket practice all those years ago wouldn’t throw the balls to me because I was a girl. I love the game because of the special memories I have when my dad took me to the ‘Gabba. I love it because the skill involved often leaves me excited and on the edge of my seat. And I love it because I get a kick out of watching young players develop, learn, and rise through the ranks.
Sean Abbott, I want to see what you can do and how far you can rise. While we can’t begin to imagine how you are feeling, Australia is standing by your side. We’ve got your back. I hope you feel our arms around you and you feel the comforting slap on the arse that you cricketing types are so fond of.
Rest in peace Phillip Hughes, and all the love and support in the world to you, Sean Abbott. And while it’s going to be hard to ever feel the same way about the SCG, I hope to see you back on that pitch one day soon.
Read More:
Phillip Hughes 1988-2014: Too Young, Too Soon – The Tragedy That Stopped A Nation
In The Wake Of Phillip Hughes’ Death, We Explore Modelling Healthy Grief To Children
