Freak cricket injuries: Golf, fish tanks, slippy socks and stray balls

Quinton de Kock

South Africa had to fly Dane Vilas in at short notice to play the third Test against England in January 2016 after his fellow wicketkeeper came to grief while taking his two Jack Russell terriers for a morning walk.

He fell while doing so, twisted his knee and left the Proteas scrambling to a get a replacement gloveman to the ground on time.

Reece Topley

After returning to form and fitness following a lengthy battle with recurring stress fractures, Topley was inked in for a key role in England’s T20 World Cup plans last year.

On the eve of the tournament, he tripped on a boundary sponge during a training session and ruptured ankle ligaments.

After being ruled out of the competition, which England won, he called for the so-called ‘Toblerones’ to banned.

Glenn McGrath

The Australia paceman turned his ankle ahead of the second Ashes Test in 2005 when he stepped on a stray cricket ball during a warm-up game of touch rugby.

He missed the Test which England won in thrilling fashion to level the series at 1-1.

England would go on to take the series 2-1, winning again at Trent Bridge – another match McGrath missed through injury.

Jason Roy

The England batter missed Surrey’s Vitality Blast game against Glamorgan in 2018 – and he had only himself to blame.

Roy threw a cricket bat in frustration following his dismissal in Surrey’s victory against Hampshire but did not account for the bat bouncing and hitting him in the face, later calling it a “moment of stupidity”.

Ben Foakes

The England wicketkeeper was ruled out of a Test series against New Zealand in 2021 when he tore his hamstring after slipping on a sock while in the dressing room following Surrey’s County Championship match against Middlesex at the Oval.

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