South Australia's opener Jake Weatherald has been subbed out of the opening game of the Sheffield Shield season against Victoria after suffering delayed concussion following a collision with the boundary fence while fielding on the opening day at the Junction Oval in Melbourne.
In the 24th over on the first morning of the match, Weatherald chased a cover drive from Victoria's Ollie Peake to the rope and dove head first to try and pull it back. He was unsuccessful and he was unable to stop himself as he rolled onto his side and then his back as he kept sliding metres past the rope, which was well off the fence, before hitting the back of his head on the base of a metal advertising hoarding that was on the boundary pickets.
He was helped up immediately by a teammate and did not appear to suffer any initial effects. He fielded the remainder of the day and also came out to open the batting when South Australia had to face a eight-over stint at the end of the first day after bowling Victoria out for 244. He did not survive more than six balls as he edged a superb delivery from Victoria debutant Harry Hoekstra to the wicketkeeper for 0.
On the morning of day two, Weatherald was subbed out of the game having experience delayed concussion symptoms overnight. South Australia subbed in former New South Wales wicketkeeper batter Matthew Gilkes for his first Shield game with his new state. Gilkes will be available to bat in South Australia's second innings.
Weatherald will now undergo monitoring and will need to be symptom free for a period of time before he's eligible to play again which will mean he will be touch and go for South Australia's round two Shield match against Queensland in Adelaide starting on October 19.
It's a tough start to his return to South Australia after being dropped from Australia's Test side in August having scored just one half-century in 12 innings across his first six Tests. Weatherald had thumped 92 in his only One-Day Cup innings for South Australia prior to his Shield return.