Custom Bats Cricket Forum
General Cricket => Players => Topic started by: eaowbear on August 27, 2010, 07:59:46 AM
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Was reading an article about David Fulton and how his career was ended and how he almost lost the sight in one eye from an incident while using a bowling machine. Found a link to the incident and makes you think twice about net etiquette (is that the right phrase?) when you see it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESFmhcGGxHU
Thought he was a really good player before this but never really got his form back, unsurprisingly.
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yeh this was one of the case studies i looked at when designing the new helmet along with daniel flynn and ricky ponting...i would be giving whoever was in cahrge of the machine some serious abuse if not taking action against them if it ended my professional cricket career!
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Shocking isn't it? When you read how bad it was and how he was almost blinded makes you think that the ultimate in protection for your heed is an absolute necessity.
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i thought there was a photo of him with the brusing as well knocking about.....after Athers quote yesterday of "You can't get killed at the crease, now" in regards to wearing a helmet. This maybe the case but serious injury can still occur as proven with Pollard more recently with his masuri (same as fulton was wearing).
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I haven't seen the video (youtube banned here!) but in Fulton's case would he have been better off without the lid on? - actually this is a daft question, I wouldn't dream of going into a bowling machine session without a lid on, but hardly ever wear one in a game. I think this is different to Pollard's injury, as with a bowler the bastman has more signals that you are going to get a short one that you instinctively pick up, whereas with a bowling machine the length can sometimes be variable, especially at higher speeds, plus the ball frequently "pops" out of the front and there is a tendency to react a fraction slower to a bowling machine.
Being careful how I phrase this, but is the issue also to do with the gap between the grille and the visor rather than, necessarily, the type of lid they were both wearing?
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Yeah the gap is meant to be a maximum of 55mm for an adult ball when you read the BSI standard for the helmets, 45mm for a junior ball. This was why our 2009 grill only allowed a couple of settings so that it couldnt be set too wide and allow a ball through the gap.
If people want to sacrifice safety for vision i guess its their choice but personally i would rather be protected.....i was at this game when this happened to Bopara...think how much worse it could have been if the gap was a few mm bigger!
(http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq167/tom_ayrtek/81700960.jpg)
The strength of the peak also has an impact upon this as masuri use a flat peak section which structurally speaking will bend very easily comparred to a curved curface which foces the gap between grill and peak to increase firther. upon impact.
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I have seen you talk about the 55mm before - but the interesting and, for me, most relevant is the comment about the peak... The plastic albion lid has had the peak made more curved, it would be interesting to see if Masuri change their lids to follow suit.
Just shows how much research you have put into your lids, compaired to the market leader. :)
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yeah if you look on the underside of an albion they have used bosses to reinforce the peak section as well as the curve, when we visited loughbrough to see the person who was carrying out research into the helmets up there the peak was pointed out as an area of weakness within the helmets.
With bowlers becoming faster and reaching in excess of 90mph materials and design will have to evolve with this to withstand the impacts at greater speeds! (IMO obviously haha which is evidently unbiased towards our lids ;) )
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I think it comes down to the cost of a change of design against the cost of bad publicity from accidents. I would think that Masuri have a good reputation and even the Flynn incident would not have put off many Albion customers.
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yeah nothing would really pu tme off my masuri, not even pollard etc and i probably wouldnt change my masuri, the only thing i'd change it for is an ayrtek traditional :)
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i found this by acident the other day after putting the video of me and liam batting up..
made me crindge watching it!
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Didn't fulton once face wasim akram in a limited overs final without a helmet...
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There's a difference between having your eye on the ball and looking at the floor.