Honour the lifesavers

Bexhill Cricket Club is seeking some recognition for lifesavers Jamie Bristow-Diamond and Hamish Russell.

Club chairman Martin Phillimore was this week intending to contact Sussex League assistant secretary Peter Butter in the hope of “doing something for the two lads”.

And Observer Sport agrees. We too would like to see Bristow-Diamond and Russell acknowledged for bringing an opposing player back to life after he had stopped breathing at The Polegrove on Saturday.

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First team manager Russell and player Bristow-Diamond took it in turns to perform chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on Lewes Priory batsman David Tungate, who had collapsed after being struck by the ball.

They carried out these life-saving techniques for around five minutes before ambulance crews arrived. Tungate, who was making his first team debut, was then airlifted to hospital in Ashford where he is recovering well.

Lewes would also be happy to see the pair receive some sort of award. Their vice-chairman and former captain Michael Murray was playing in the Sussex Cricket League Division Two match.

He told Observer Sport: “Absolutely. I don’t think any award would be too great for those two guys, especially for Jamie. For someone of those tender years to step forward in that situation took a lot of courage.”

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Spin bowler Bristow-Diamond, 19, had received first aid training while working as a lifeguard, while Russell is the club first aider but neither had previously been confronted with such a serious situation.

“It was absolutely fantastic,” continued Murray. “Without the two of them I think we would be talking about a tragedy or at the very least lasting damage. Without their quick thinking, and precise thoughts and actions, it would’ve been a different scenario.”

Murray added that something will be planned for the reverse fixture at Lewes on July 23 and although waiting to see what hospital tests reveal, they hope to have Tungate back as soon as possible.

Bexhill will be hoping for a return to normality tomorrow (Saturday) when they travel to much-fancied Worthing in the league. Callum Guest is available and will replace Steve Phillimore, who is away.

See today’s Bexhill Observer for the full story.

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