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Surrey cricketers 'doing well' in hospital after 'sickening' clash
Moises Henriques suffers broken jaw in collision with Rory Burns, as crowd fears the worst after Phillip Hughes
Two Surrey cricketers are recovering in hospital afer a sickening onfield collision that left both men unconscious, led to the abandonment of their match against Sussex and brought back uncomfortable memories of the death of Phillip Hughes.
Moises Henrique broke his jaw in three places and had to undergo surgery after clashing heads with Rory Burns, who was out cold for half an hour and required stitches to cuts on his face. Both were taken to hospital by ambulance.
The shocking accident happened in the 19th over of the Sussex innings as the two men tried to catch a top edge from batsman Steffan Piolet. Burns was sprinting in from the boundary and Henriques chasing from point when they collided. After the accident both men lay motionless on the turf as team-mates frantically gestured for medical attention.
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Medics from both counties and a doctor from the crowd rushed to the players' aid and there were soon ambulances on the outfield as the severity of the situation became apparent.
Some reports claimed that Henriques had collided with Burns's knee, while other accounts said they clashed heads.
Both players were given oxygen and put on a drip at the scene. It took half an hour to move Henriques and a further ten minutes before Burns could be loaded into an ambulance. Both men were able to signal to the crowd of 8,500 as they left, who breathed a sigh of relief and accepted the decision to abandon the game.
"The long shadow cast by the death of Henriques' friend and team-mate Phillip Hughes in Sydney in November last year meant quiet panic was quick to break out among the crowd at Arundel," says Will MacPherson of Cricinfo. The state of the two men meant "the snap reaction was to fear the worst".
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However, Surrey issued a series of updates on Twitter on Monday, stating that both players were in "decent shape" after undergoing operations.
Burns is expected to be discharged today, while Henriques will be kept in for a further 24 hours and will need to undergo dental surgery.
"This incident will once more be labelled freakish, with the blow sickening, the impact audible and the aftermath - with concern growing as fast as the number of medical staff - horrible," says MacPherson. "Thankfully, this will be filed under near misses and the signs - if nascent - are hopeful."
Among those to wish the pair well as Kevin Pietersen, playing what may have been his final match on English soil. The former England batsman had been due to sign off for Surrey at Arundel, before heading to the West Indies to take part in the Caribbean Premier League. It is unclear whether he will ever play for a county in England again.
