Umpire killed by ball thrown by fielder

A cricket umpire died at the weekend after being hit on the head by a ball thrown by a fielder.

Alcwyn Jenkins, 72, was officiating on Saturday in a local league match at the St Helen's ground in Swansea, South Wales, when the accident happened. He was airlifted to hospital but died shortly afterwards.

Neil Hobbs, honorary chairman of the South Wales Cricket Association, told The Times: "The throw would have been from about 40 yards (metres) away. No one can quite believe it has happened.

"Umpires do get hit by the ball occasionally, but the chances of it being a fatality must be less than one in a million."

Steve Davies, chairman of Swansea Cricket Club, said the incident happened in front of an unusually large crowd at the ground, where Gary Sobers hit six sixes in an over in 1968.

"Just before the game he turned to me and said, I just love playing games at St Helen's. It's a wonderful place to play cricket.'"