Melbourne Stars wicketkeeper Sam Harper hospitalised after blow to the head

Melbourne Stars wicketkeeper Sam Harper was taken to hospital via ambulance after a nasty blow to the head at training but scans have cleared him of a fracture despite suffering a laceration to his chin and neck.

Harper was preparing with the Stars crew at the MCG on Friday in front of Saturday's conflict against Sydney Sixers when he was struck in the head while batting in the nets.

While endeavoring to play an incline shot he was hit on the jawline with the ball dwelling under the barbecue of his protective cap, causing a serious slash close to his throat. Harper was quickly gone to by the Stars clinical group to control the dying.

An emergency vehicle was called however he was cognizant, breathing and stable when he was taken to clinic for additional treatment. He stayed there for the time being and will be observed before very long in spite of sweeps getting him free from any break or delicate tissue harm to his jaw or neck.

The instructional meeting was promptly canceled. Harper's circumstance will be treated with alert given his set of experiences of blackouts. He experienced a weighty blackout in the BBL in January 2020 when he crashed into Hobart Tropical storms bowler Nathan Ellis and must be taken to medical clinic. He was likewise hospitalized with blackout in 2017 when he was hit by a bat while continuing during a Sheffield Safeguard game.

Harper will not be able to play tomorrow evening and Stars don't have a back-up wicketkeeper on their rundown. Previous Stars player and Victoria restricted overs chief Peter Handscomb has been brought in at short notification as he doesn't have a BBL contract and was set to play grade cricket in Melbourne tomorrow for his club side St Kilda.

He had been named chief of the Cricket Australia XI that is set to play a three-day game against West Indies in Adelaide beginning on Tuesday however may should be traded for that game as Stars made him for every one of the excess three rounds of the home and away season and conceivably finals, contingent upon Harper's recuperation.

Handscomb has saved for Australia in T20Is and he played 51 BBL matches for Stars somewhere in the range of 2012 and 2020 preceding playing two seasons at Hobart Tropical storms. He played three games for Melbourne Mavericks last season as a substitution player, having not been contracted.