Friday night Big bash league The clash between Sydney Thunder The Perth Scorchers at Optus Stadium took a scary turn when the Thunder doubled Cameron Bancroft He collided with Daniel Sams in a brutal face-to-face clash. Both players, chasing a high catch from Cooper Connolly, ran from opposite directions at full speed and collided with each other, leaving the crowd stunned.
The impact left Sams lying on the ground, apparently unconscious, while Bancroft emerged with a bloody nose. Both players were later confirmed to have suffered concussions and were taken to hospital for further tests amid fears of possible facial fractures.
The collision leaves the crowd in shock
The incident occurred in the 16th over of Perth's innings when Connolly skated the ball into the night sky. Sams sprinted out of bounds, while Bancroft ran with the ball flying from midfield.
The resulting impact was disgusting. Sams lay motionless on the grass, while Bancroft, though conscious, was visibly shaken. The Scorchers' batsmen immediately stopped running between the wickets, out of respect for the injured players.
Medical teams rushed to the field. Bancroft, groggy but able to walk, was escorted outside with blood running from his nose. Sams needed more attention and was eventually taken off the field in a mid-cab.
Concussion replacements approved
Match referee David Boon approved concussion substitutions for both players. Hugh Webgen, a 20-year-old new arrival, and Ollie Davies, who had been ill earlier in the day, stepped in for the injured duo.
Weibgen, who made his BBL debut, showed no signs of nerves despite the tense atmosphere. His composure helped stabilize the Thunder's field effort as the game resumed.
Perth Scorchers innings
Before the collision stopped play, the Scorchers were cruising. Finn Allen, New Zealand's opener, was at his best. He smashed 68 off just 31 balls, hitting six fours and five towering sixes.
But Allen's dismissal turned things around. Thunder spinner Chris Green bowled brilliantly, finishing with figures of 3-20. His effort slowed Perth's momentum after they raced to 2-110 in 12 overs.
Green dismissed Allen with a crucial delivery, and the Scorchers stumbled to 4-126 after losing 3 wickets for just 8 runs.
Cooper Connolly and Nick Hobson then steadied the ship, taking Perth to a contest of 177/4 by the end of their innings. Connolly remained unbeaten with 43 off 31 balls while Hobson contributed 21 balls.
Allen's missed opportunity proved costly
Thunder wicket-keeper Sam Billings I spent a difficult evening behind a log. He knocked down a high catch from Allen when the Kiwis were at 31. The missed opportunity proved costly, as Allen continued to dominate the Thunder bowlers.
Allen's aggression was on full display when he got 22 runs off Shervan Rutherford. But the Scorchers were unable to capitalize on their early attack, thanks to Green's timely breakthroughs.
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