Israeli cricket umpire killed by ball

An umpire in an Israeli league cricket match was killed after being struck by the ball on Saturday (November 29), police and a hospital spokeswoman said.     

The umpire, named as Hillel Oscar, aged 58, died of a catastrophic head wound during the match at Ashdod, said Ayelet Keidar, a spokeswoman for Barzilai Hospital in the Mediterranean coastal town of Ashkelon.       

Oscar was at the bowler's end and was hit when the ball ricocheted off the stumps and hit him in the neck from a shot that came straight back down the pitch, said Avital Felix, manager of the Ashdod Cricket Trust.               

"The batsman hit the ball from here towards that direction over there where umpire Hillel was standing and the ball flew low and quickly towards the stumps hitting them and changing direction upwards and hitting Hillel, here in the neck and this is where he was hit (pointing to the neck)," said Felix.      

The players tried to revive Oscar and an ambulance crew worked for an hour at the scene before he was taken to hospital and subsequently declared dead, said Felix.        

One of Oscar's work colleagues, Ricky Michael, said at the family home: "He died in the place that he loved the most. Words are not enough to describe the man he was, words are not enough. He was an incredible person. The entire town had known him, not just his workers or his players."        

Israel Sports Minister Limor Livnat has called for an inquiry.        

Oscar's wife, Jenny, said the incident occurred moments after a minute's silence was held for Australia batsman Phillip Hughes, who died in hospital on Thursday after being struck by a ball during a domestic first-class match in Sydney.      

Cricket is not a professional sport in Israel, but Ashdod is one of the main centres because it is home to a large number of Jewish immigrants from India. Saturday's fixture between Young Ashdod and Lions Lod was being played on the last day of the season. 

           
REUTERS