MELBOURNE: After taking a hard hit to the head during practice, Melbourne Stars wicketkeeper Sam Harper was transported by paramedics to the hospital; he is still conscious and stable.
Harper was hit in the head while batting in the nets on Friday while he was at the MCG working out with the Stars team in preparation for their matchup with the Sydney Sixers on Saturday.
He was struck in the chin while trying to play a cross-bat shot, and the ball lodged under his helmet’s grill, cutting a deep gash close to his throat. The Stars medical staff started treating Harper right away in an effort to stop the bleeding.
When he was eventually transferred to a hospital for more treatment, he remained stable, breathing, and cognizant even though an ambulance had been summoned. The training session was canceled right away. We shall proceed cautiously with Harper’s case because of his history of concussions. When he collided with Hobart Hurricanes bowler Nathan Ellis in the BBL in January 2020, he had a severe concussion and needed hospitalization. In 2017, he was also admitted to the hospital after suffering a concussion from being struck by a bat during a Sheffield Shield game.
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Tomorrow night’s game will not feature Harper, and the Stars do not have a backup wicketkeeper on their roster. Peter Handscomb, the former Stars player and Victoria limited-overs captain, is not signed to a BBL contract and was scheduled to play grade cricket in Melbourne tomorrow. As such, he is likely to be called up on short notice.
