LONDON - A cricket umpire died at the weekend after being hit on the head by a ball thrown by a fielder.

LONDON - A cricket umpire died at the weekend after being hit on the head by a ball thrown by a fielder.

Alcwyn Jenkins, 72, was officiating on Saturday in a local league match at the St Helen's ground in Swansea, South Wales, when the accident happened. He was airlifted to hospital but died shortly afterwards.

Neil Hobbs, honorary chairman of the South Wales Cricket Association, said: "The throw would have been from about 37 metres. No one can quite believe it has happened. Umpires do get hit occasionally, but the chances of it being a fatality must be less than one in a million."

Steve Davies, the chairperson of Swansea Cricket Club, said the incident happened in front of an unusually large crowd at the ground.

Davies said: "Just before the game he turned to me and said, 'I just love playing games at St Helen's'." - Reuters