Bowler heads it for six!

Umpires wear protective gear nowadays; batsmen have been wearing helmets for a long time. Canterbury fast bowler Andrew Ellis, however, seems to have been endowed with natural protective gear – namely his forehead. 

In Wednesday's third preliminary final of the Ford Trophy -- New Zealand’s domestic one-day tournament -- Auckland opener Jeet Raval blasted a match-winning 149. In the 19th over Raval hit Ellis for sixes off successive balls, but he added a gobsmacking injury to insult in the second of those when he hit it straight back at the bowler, who could not raise his arms in time as the ball cannoned into his right temple.

Well, cannoned off, because it was hit hard enough and Ellis’s head itself was hard enough for the ball to carry over the long off boundary for perhaps the strangest six seen on a cricket field in a long time. Fortunately, Ellis passed a concussion test after going off the field, and actually came back to bowl four more overs. Most importantly, he got the wicket of his assailant. But given the power his head has proven to have, he should watch out and maybe invest in a helmet, as it may be worth it for batsmen to aim for his cranium in the future.