John Orchard kept Australian cricketer Phil Hughes alive

John Orchard whose immediate attention saved the life of the left-handed batsman

Dr John Orchard has been credited as the man who saved the life of Phillip Hughes to give the Australia batsman a fighting chance.
The Sheffield Shield game between New South Wales(NSW) and South Australian cricket team came to a standstill after Phil Hughes was struck on the head by a bouncer on Tuesday. But, while the NSW players were trying to assess the situation, it was the team doctor John Orchard whose immediate attention saved the life of the left-handed batsman.

Phil Hughes, who was batting for South Australia in the domestic first-class match against NSW, was hit on his head by a steaming delivery from bowler Sean Abbott yesterday. The 25-year-old southpaw paused for breath with his hands on his knees before collapsing face-first onto the ground.

The on-field players immediately rushed to his aid while NSW cricket team’s doctor John Orchard sprinted his way onto the field.

According to The Sydney Morning Herald reports, Orchard performed mouth-to-mouth and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation(CPR) on struggling Hughes in the middle of the pitch. He repeated the life-saving routine on the medicab and then again on the boundary behind a sheet.

The reports further suggested that Orchard intubated and preserved Hughes’ brain functions until the ambulances and helicopters arrived at the Sydney Cricket Ground. He also accompanied Hughes to the St Vincent’s Hospital and was there by his side till late on Tuesday.

His quick thinking and years of training clearly made the difference while Hughes was battling for his life. Orchard has been the NSW cricket team’s doctor for the past six years and knows Hughes since his early days as a teenager trying to find his place in the Australian cricket team.