Marsh Cup: Henry Hunt suffers major injury while fielding

Opener Henry Hunt faced a painful moment during the Marsh One-Day Cup clash between South Australia and Victoria at Junction Oval on Thursday, February 8. As he lunged to catch a ripping drive from Victorian opener Tom Rogers, the leather struck him squarely in the face. The impact was brutal, leaving Hunt with blood streaming profusely from his nose. 

The medical staff was immediately called in by the umpires to provide him with some aid, as it took some time to attend to the 27-year-old cricketer. Notably, the ball had burst through his hands, striking him on the nose, and resulting in significant bleeding. However, despite being in pain, Hunt managed to walk off the field unassisted.

The team management is yet to brief Henry’s medical condition, as the opener is expected to get admitted to the hospital for further checkups. Multiple scans are expected to take place to determine the severity of his injury. 

Victoria won the match by three wickets

Meanwhile, Victoria’s batters continued their assault, with Rogers making 67 runs. His opening partner Nic Maddinson added 54 while batting at number three, Marcus Harris hit 43 runs in the middle. Their combined effort helped the visitors chase 231 runs with absolute ease, which eventually propelled Victoria to the top spot on the Marsh One-Day Cup table. 

On the other hand, South Australia’s batters would be disappointed with their performance. Jake Fraser-McGurk, who recently made his debut for Australia, failed to contribute much, as he got out after scoring six runs. Hunt made five, as the hosts were 19/2 at one stage. Harry Nielson rose up to the occasion and made 61 runs but that wasn’t enough. Forwards the fag end of their innings, Harry Conway hit 43 runs but the strike rate remained a constant issue with the team.

Following the defeat, South Africa find themselves at the bottom of the points table and are more or less eliminated from the competition.