WA tearaway’s comeback weekend ruined by post-match accident to non-bowling hand
The luckless cricketing journey of Lance Morris has taken another frustrating turn, with the Western Australia speedster cutting his left hand only hours after returning to domestic action on Saturday.
Morris was outstanding in taking 3-29 in a one-dayer for WA against the touring England side at the WACA Ground at the weekend. It was his first professional match in 20 months following back surgery and a side strain that delayed his return to action, but on Saturday evening he suffered a cut to his left hand.
“Lance will consult a hand specialist today to determine the extent of the injury and a timeline on his return to playing,” read a statement from the WACA.
The 28-year-old speedster’s promising career has been regularly interrupted by injury – he has played just 26 first-class matches since his Sheffield Shield debut in October 2020 – and this latest setback comes after what he described as the “longest preseason” of his career.
“Early doors, after surgery, it was pretty smooth sailing to start with,” Morris said last week. “Then as we were starting to return to play, things didn’t quite go how we planned and it (became) a little bit turbulent at times.
“More recently, I guess there were a few sessions there where I’d rock up to training and feel pretty average when I was bowling, and pretty down in the dumps.
“(The) side strain, which was another eight weeks on top of what had already been a really long rehab, that was tough to get through.
“But I’ve been really grateful for the medical staff at WA Cricket and all the guys getting around me and helping me through the rehab process.
“I feel really good at the moment, and I think I’ve sort of pushed through a bit of a threshold and got back to that game intensity that we were looking for.
“It’s been the longest preseason I’ve ever had. I’m feeling really fit and firing to attack what’s hopefully a pretty big season.”
Morris did exactly that on Saturday, steaming in for 10 overs in WA’s defeat to England in what the visitors’ head coach Brendon McCullum described as a “very impressive” showing.
“Especially for someone who has been off the scene for a while – to come back and to be able to locate the zone that he was wanting in terms of his length and then utilise his bounce the way he did,” McCullum said.
“He bowled good pace and obviously got the rewards. He bowled a beautiful 10 overs.”
WA head coach Beau Casson had forecast a potential return to Shield cricket for the three-time ODI rep ahead of the Big Bash break in December, though he tempered that by adding “we’re not going to take reckless risks”.
“We’re going to make sure that he’s 100 per cent healthy to be able to do that,” Casson said. “He’s had a torrid run of injuries. I’m really proud of him. It’s been a long process to get him to where he is right now.
“We’re going to be patient, but we’ve been very specific and deliberate in the plans.”
Morris will now await news from the hand specialist before beginning to map out his next comeback.