The primary focus of the cricketing world at the moment might be centred on the Adelaide Oval and the ongoing First Test between Australia and India, and the litany of heartfelt and touching tributes being made by the Australian players to their fallen teammate Phillip Hughes; be it the solemn black arm bands inscribed with the initials “PH”, the applause from the crowd each time a batsman reaches 63 not out, or the skyward gazes in celebration of individual on-field milestones.
The moments and sentiment will be everlasting, and the images will become iconic, particularly this shot of Steve Smith celebrating his century by moving to the number 408 – Hughes’ test number – that had been painted on the surface of the Adelaide Oval.
But outside of the international arena, the game goes on – as it should. And in particular, the game goes on for Sean Abbott. The young NSW paceman has been forced to shoulder a weight of such immense gravity; the likes of which no one, much less a young man of 22, should have to bare.
Returning to the SCG for the first time since the tragic, unfathomable, and completely blameless accident that took the life of that magnificent young man from Macksville, the son of a nation, Abbott donned the royal blue cap of his native New South Wales and got back to work, shaking off any lingering doubts from outsiders about his confidence by firing down a short ball in his very first over.
But it was today, in the third (and ultimately final) innings of the Sheffield Shield match between Abbott’s blues and the maroons of Queensland, that fortune truly favoured the brave.
Queensland trailed New South Wales’ first innings score by 179 runs on the final morning of play, and by lunch had crawled to 2 wickets down for 60; a result unlikely unless someone from New South Wales could force themselves through the barest of barely open doors.
Enter, Sean Abbott. A career-best spell just seven overs long yielded six wickets for just fourteen runs with three maiden overs thrown in for good measure. Five of the wickets came in the space of a mere twenty balls, conceding only five runs in the process.
By the time he’d finished, Peter Forrest, Nathan Reardon, Ben Cutting, James Hopes, Chris Hartley and Cameron Brimblecombe had all been given their marching orders by a young man whose display of resilience might never be matched on the cricket field.
And when Steve O’Keefe took a broom to the tail, Queensland were all out for 99 – the victory to New South Wales by a margin of an innings and 80 runs.
Back at the Adelaide Oval, where the focus of the cricketing world remains, the score – and Abbott’s figures – were splashed up on the big screen; not making a big deal out of the situation, merely updating patrons of scores from around the grounds. But as the crowd slowly cottoned on to what had happened, the applause grew. And in the middle, national opener, and Abbott’s NSW teammate, David Warner smiled and tapped his hand to the solemn black arm band inscribed with the initials “PH”. Somewhere up there, wherever he is, you’d have to think that Hughesy was smiling too.
Cricket goes on, as it should. As do we. Today, Sean Abbott has every reason to celebrate. And we sincerely hope he does.
Photos: William West and Michael Dodge via Getty Images.
