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Thursday 27 November 2014

Vale Phillip Hughes, 1988 - 2014.......

Family, friends, team mates and fans are in mourning after the passing of Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes.
Phillip Hughes was born in Macksville in country NSW.
The son of a banana farmer, he loved nothing more than spending time with his family.
At just 19, he seemed destined to play for Australia after scoring a century in the 2008 Sheffield Shield Final for NSW against Victoria.
His test debut came against South Africa one year later.
He scored back-to-back centuries in the second match in Durban, and at just over 20-years-old, became the youngest in cricket history to do so.
He was dropped during the following Ashes series after being roughed-up by Andrew Flintoff.
Undeterred he returned for two tests against Pakistan in early 2010 and earned another call-up for the home Ashes series later that year - scoring 97 runs in three tests.
Hughes toured Sri Lanka in 2011 where he made his third and final test century - but would be eventually dropped again.
Indeed his entire playing career was punctuated by setbacks and his personal resilience.
The retirements of Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey left the door ajar once more.
Hughes became the first Australian to make a century in his one day debut against Sri Lanka in 2013 - later hitting an unbeaten 138 in the same series.
He played tests against India and his last against England at Lord's last year.
His form for South Australia this year saw him back in the frame to replace Michael Clarke in the side for the test series with India.
Instead, it was the Australian skipper who spent the last days of Hughes' life not by watching him from the stands, but by keeping a bedside vigil for his fallen teammate.
On news of his passing a statement was released by Cricket Australia.
"He was not in pain before he passed and was surrounded by his family and close friends,” the statement read.
"As a cricket community we mourn his loss and extend our deepest sympathies to Phillip’s family and friends at this incredibly sad time.
"Cricket Australia kindly asks that the privacy of the Hughes family, players and staff be respected."

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