Melbourne Stars wicketkeeper Sam Harper hospitalised after blow to the head

Melbourne Stars wicketkeeper Sam Harper was taken to hospital via ambulance after a nasty blow to the head at training but scans have cleared him of a fracture despite suffering a laceration to his chin and neck.

Harper was training with the Stars squad at the MCG on Friday ahead of Saturday's clash against Sydney Sixers when he was struck in the head while batting in the nets.

While attempting to play a ramp shot he was hit on the chin with the ball lodging under the grill of his helmet, causing a severe laceration near his throat. Harper was immediately attended to by the Stars medical team to control the bleeding.

An ambulance was called but he was conscious, breathing and stable when he was taken to hospital for further treatment. He remained there overnight and will be monitored in the coming days despite scans clearing him of any fracture or soft tissue damage to his jaw or neck.

The training session was immediately called off. Harper's situation will be treated with caution given his history of concussions. He suffered a heavy concussion in the BBL in January 2020 when he collided with Hobart Hurricanes bowler Nathan Ellis and had to be taken to hospital. He was also hospitalised with concussion in 2017 when he was hit by a bat while keeping during a Sheffield Shield game.

Harper will be unable to play tomorrow night and Stars do not have a back-up wicketkeeper on their list. Former Stars player and Victoria limited-overs captain Peter Handscomb has been called in at short notice as he does not have a BBL contract and was set to play grade cricket in Melbourne tomorrow for his club side St Kilda.

He had been named captain of the Cricket Australia XI that is set to play a three-day game against West Indies in Adelaide starting on Tuesday but may need to be replaced for that game as Stars made him for all of the remaining three games of the home and away season and possibly finals, depending on Harper's recovery.

Handscomb has kept for Australia in T20Is and he played 51 BBL matches for Stars between 2012 and 2020 before playing two seasons at Hobart Hurricanes. He played three games for Melbourne Renegades last season as a replacement player, having not been contracted.