Strikers Relief as Patterson Avoids Serious Injury After Nasty Blow
Adelaide Strikers coach Luke Williams expressed relief that wicketkeeper Bridget Patterson had “escaped any major injury” after being struck in the face by a fierce 119km/h delivery from teammate Darcie Brown during their Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) match against the Sydney Sixers at North Sydney Oval on Tuesday.
The 30-year-old Patterson suffered a cut and bleeding after the ball took an unpredictable bounce and smashed her in the right eye in the fourth over. She was promptly taken off the field, though Williams later confirmed that she had avoided serious damage.
“It was a nasty injury, so we’re all worried about her, but it looks like she’s escaped any major injury. It was nasty at the time with the cut,” he said post-game.
Despite the concerning incident, the Strikers managed to secure an 11-run victory over the defending champions. Patterson top-scored with 44 runs, while all-rounder Amanda-Jade Wellington provided the late fireworks with a quickfire 40 off 16 deliveries, helping the team post a competitive total of 171. Orla Prendergast also played an important 39-run innings.
“It can be easy sometimes to not score or go back into your shell, but I thought Bridget and Orla and then Amanda-Jade kept scoring and putting pressure on the bowlers, which when you’ve lost early wickets can be hard to do,” Williams praised his side’s resilience.
Substitute wicketkeeper Ellie Johnston, who replaced the injured Patterson, also impressed, featuring in the final wicket dismissal to help the Strikers defend their total. Meanwhile, Brown bounced back from the scary incident to finish with 2/25 off her four overs.
Elsewhere, the Sixers may receive a timely boost for their upcoming clash against the Melbourne Stars on Friday, with veteran wicketkeeper Alyssa Healy, who missed the World Cup due to a foot injury, hinting at a “sneaky” return.
“It’s actually progressing a lot quicker than what I thought, so Friday could be a sneaky one,” Healy said.
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