Praise for bowler who had kebab stuck in throat

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Central Districts are marvelling at the courage of their left-arm bowler Ewen Thompson who bowled 10 overs on the trot in their one-day semifinal win against Canterbury with a kebab stuck in his throat.

While Mathew Sinclair took the plaudits for scoring 105 not out from 94 balls at QEII Park in Christchurch on Saturday, it was the bravery of Thompson that was dominating talk yesterday.

Thompson, who has a diagnosed digestive problem, became dehydrated during the semifinal due to a piece of kebab meat being lodged in his oesophagus since Friday afternoon which blocked food and liquid intake.

Thompson managed a catch, returned 0-36 with the ball before being taken to hospital where he was placed on a drip and the meat was removed during a small operation.

"It wasn't blocking his airway, but we couldn't get any food or water into him so he was so dehydrated," Central Districts manager Lance Hamilton said.

Thompson, 30, was resting at home last night and talking of playing in the major semifinal against Northern Districts in Whangarei on Wednesday.

"We'll see how he scrubs up between now and then but he seems to think he will be right," Hamilton said.

"ET is kicking himself a bit because he is supposed to watch what he eats. He was in a rush to eat before training [on Friday] and he scoffed down a kebab and obviously some meat got stuck.

"The fact that he was able to bowl 10 tidy overs on the trot for us and only go for 36 runs, feeling the way he was, was quite remarkable."

Central triumphed over Canterbury by six wickets and will take an unchanged team to Whangarei.

Hamilton described the batting of Sinclair as "great to watch".

Sinclair took 19 from one over bowled by Shane Bond and he brought up his seventh one-day hundred with a straight six from the bowling of Carl Fraunstein.

Sinclair and Brendon Diamanti (59 not out from 47 balls) added an unbroken 128 for the fifth wicket to ease Central home with 17 balls to spare.

If Central win the major semifinal, they will play Auckland in the final after the Auks trounced Northern by eight wickets on Saturday.

Hamilton said it was possible all-rounder Jacob Oram would be fit in time for the final after being ordered to rest due to tendonitis in a knee.

- © Fairfax NZ News