Promising New Milton teenage all-rounder Ollie Shrubsole is set to face a frustrating summer on the local cricket sidelines – the after effects of a serious knee injury sustained at the tail end of last season.
He snapped the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee playing a late season Sunday friendly for Swanage against Poole Town, the match having to be abandoned after the 19-year old caught his studs in the wet turf and collapsed to the ground in agony.
“I went to field the ball off my own bowling and as I bent down my studs got caught in the soil. When I twisted my knee, there was a terrible crack and I went down in agony,” he explained.
“I was lying on the ground for an hour waiting to be taken to hospital. I think I passed out. It was a very unpleasant experience.”
Ironically, Shrubsole was a late fill-in for Swanage, who called him up on the morning of the game to play.
“Someone dropped out, so I was happy to fill in. Well, I was until I sustained the injury.”
Shrubsole, who has captained Dorset at three different county junior age group levels, isn’t due to undergo ACL surgery until early May, after which he face a long period of rehabilitation.
“I’ve missed the entire soccer season with Wareham Town and have written off the coming cricket season as well. The aim is to regain full fitness for the 2019 season,” he continued.
“Fortunately, I can work every other Saturday, so the boredom of missing cricket won’t be as bad as it might have been had I been sitting around watching every weekend.
“The injury couldn’t have come at a worse time in my cricket development.
“I’ve been playing Southern Premier League cricket for New Milton for two seasons now and felt that last summer I was beginning to get a foothold in what is a very demanding standard.
“I made a couple of 60s against Andover and South Wilts, and got a 4-fer bowling my off-spin in another game.
“I was really looking forward to batting up the order and playing a fuller role for Milton, but instead I’ve now got to wait a couple more months for the surgery and then get stuck into getting myself fit again.”
He snapped the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee playing a late season Sunday friendly for Swanage against Poole Town, the match having to be abandoned after the 19-year old caught his studs in the wet turf and collapsed to the ground in agony.
“I went to field the ball off my own bowling and as I bent down my studs got caught in the soil. When I twisted my knee, there was a terrible crack and I went down in agony,” he explained.
“I was lying on the ground for an hour waiting to be taken to hospital. I think I passed out. It was a very unpleasant experience.”
Ironically, Shrubsole was a late fill-in for Swanage, who called him up on the morning of the game to play.
“Someone dropped out, so I was happy to fill in. Well, I was until I sustained the injury.”
Shrubsole, who has captained Dorset at three different county junior age group levels, isn’t due to undergo ACL surgery until early May, after which he face a long period of rehabilitation.
“I’ve missed the entire soccer season with Wareham Town and have written off the coming cricket season as well. The aim is to regain full fitness for the 2019 season,” he continued.
“Fortunately, I can work every other Saturday, so the boredom of missing cricket won’t be as bad as it might have been had I been sitting around watching every weekend.
“The injury couldn’t have come at a worse time in my cricket development.
“I’ve been playing Southern Premier League cricket for New Milton for two seasons now and felt that last summer I was beginning to get a foothold in what is a very demanding standard.
“I made a couple of 60s against Andover and South Wilts, and got a 4-fer bowling my off-spin in another game.
“I was really looking forward to batting up the order and playing a fuller role for Milton, but instead I’ve now got to wait a couple more months for the surgery and then get stuck into getting myself fit again.”
