The 4th ODI between India and Australia in the ongoing Victoria Bitter series has seen Umpire Richard Kettleborough sustain a bitter injury. He does have some quick reflexes though. Perhaps had his reflexes been a tad slower he could have avoided a painful hit to his shin. He has just been replaced by Paul Wilson. He took a hit on the shin from a straight drive by Aaron Finch. At first glance from this angle it appeared that Umpire Kettleborough jumped right in the trajectory of the straight drive by Aaron Finch.
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A closer look shows that the ball came off the bowler’s hand.
Being hit on the shin bones can result in a painful injury. Some athletes in sports such as MMA are known to roll glass bottles across their shins, in the action of rolling a ‘roti’ in order to numb the nerve endings on the shin. They do this as that is a painful area to take a hit. There are far better ways to condition your shin bones than that though.
It is understandable that umpire Kettleborough probably never had occassion to condition his shins to take such a hit. This incident which resulted in him eventually walking off the field should beget the question of safety equipment for umpires. A shin guard would have made a world of difference in this case.
Here is a look at the incident:
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