Nevill learns fate after freak BBL injury

Peter Nevill has been ruled out for the remainder of the the Big Bash League with a burst blood vessel in his cheek as a result of Monday night’s freakish accident.

The Melbourne Renegades gloveman was hit by the handle of a flying Brad Hodge bat during his side’s six-run win against the Adelaide Strikers.

He was felled by the blow before being helped from Adelaide Oval and taken to hospital for X-rays with a significantly swollen right-side of his face.

Nevill was standing far back from the stumps when hit by a bat which slipped from the hands of Adelaide captain Brad Hodge.

“I tried to hit it as far as I possibly could and the bat just came out,” Hodge said.

“It’s pretty disappointing. I’m good friends with Pete and you never want to see someone get injured, no way.

“I have never seen anything like it at all. I have seen things where bats have gone flying but never hit anyone.”

The former Australian wicketkeeper was following the path of the ball into the outfield when the bat handle struck the right side of his face.

The incident happened the ball after Hodge swapped into new batting gloves.

“If you have brand new gloves they have got like this powdery feel to it and it (the bat) just slipped straight out of my hands,” Hodge said.

“I tried to grab it and hold onto it – if I had of just let it go it probably would have gone out to square leg, but I sort of just tugged it round and it hit him right in the side of the jaw.”

The incident has left the Renegades without a wicketkeeper for their must-win clash with Brisbane on Friday night, with coach Andrew McDonald conceding they may again have to throw the gloves to captain Aaron Finch.

“We haven’t got many other options at the moment,” McDonald said.

“It will be about tomorrow sitting down and trying to see if there are any keepers out there.

“We’ve seen a lot of list changes this season and there’s been a lot of players involved in the Big Bash so there may not be a lot out there.”

Nevill will also be assessed by Cricket NSW ahead of the Blues’ return to Sheffield Shield cricket next month.