Image: Injury to Tony de Nobrega / © 7 News
Tony de Nobrega was officiating a third grade match between North Perth and Wembley Districts at Charles Veryard Reserve in the West Australian Suburban Turf Cricket Association when he was injured over the weekend. The injury occurred when a straight drive from a batsman hit him in the face, leading to his hospitalization.
The WASTCA Umpires Association posted on Facebook, talking about Tony de Nobrega’s condition, saying:
Spending the night in hospital Tony was fortunate enough not to have had any broken bones however the doctors are keeping him under observation as surgery is not out of the question. We wish Tony all the best for a fast recovery from this terrible incident and look forward to him being up and about shortly. The umpiring team is right behind you mate. Rest up, Tony.
There have been several incidents where cricket umpires were injured by the ball while officiating. In 2019, 80-year-old umpire John Williams tragically died after being hit by a ball during a local match in Wales. Five years earlier, Israeli umpire Hillel Oscar also passed away when a ball ricocheted off the stumps and struck him in the head.
International umpires typically wear hats or caps while officiating, but Australian umpire Gerard Abood chose to wear a helmet during Big Bash matches in Australia. Another Australian umpire, Bruce Oxenford, used to wear a plastic forearm shield for added protection while officiating in matches.