Unfortunately the last month escalated from the annoying visits to hospitals for scans, throughout the first half of the season, to admission to hospital on three separate occasions. Being discharged twice, only to be readmitted via ambulances both times is not a very pleasant experience.

It’s especially unpleasant when the reasons for heading back each time were violent vomiting and something that I hesitate to call a headache. My opinion now is that one has never experienced a headache until you have experienced the pain I had to endure.

When I was conscious enough to spend some time on my i-phone, I was able to Google ‘headaches caused by a spinal tap’ (leakage). I found many forums prompted by expectant mothers-to-be and new mothers. One contributor even commented that the headaches ‘were far worse than child-birth itself.’

So there you have it, a comparable point of pain for males and females alike. I would not recommend sampling the procedure voluntarily though. Plus, what I went through wasn’t preceded by nine months with the pleasure that instigates child-birth.

So what happened? I had a successful epidural injection in order to kill pain and allow me to bowl at the end of May. It then wore off by mid-June, so I organised another to get me through to the end of the season. Although not ideal, this had to be the case if I wanted to get re-signed for next season.

However, it went wrong. In layman’s terms the needle went too far into the back and punctured my spinal column. This causes the fluid that supports the brain and regulates pressure in the spinal column to leak.

The consequences of this type of error are a number of weeks laid on your back with horror headaches whenever you stand up. Of course the obvious answer would be to not stand up, however, have you ever tried being violently sick whilst lying down?

It does give you the opportunity to learn new skills though; such as ‘weeing’ into an ergonomically designed bottle and getting away with washing only ones ’smelly bits’ (whilst also horizontal) for a number of days.

The consequences of what has happened over the last month have meant that it looks unlikely that I will be able to play any significant cricket this season. The 2nd eleven season finishes in about three weeks and the county season finishes mid-September. It finishes off what has been an incredibly frustrating year and one that may well see me deemed surplus to requirements at Northants.

My next steps are to see if any other counties may be interested as I don’t foresee this injury being one that will cause me grief in the future and therefore I feel I have plenty more to give to the county game.

Failing that I will endeavour to pursue another career and try to ignite some of the irons I’ve had in the fire over the last few years… I feel there is plenty more to write on this subject and the consequential issues arising from it; so watch out for further blogs which may or may not satisfy your unquestionable thirst for all they entail…

Related categories: Cricket, David Wigley, Northants, Steelbacks

This concept was drawn up long before I broke down with injury and ended up missing the start of the season. It means that I haven’t been on the road as much as I might have liked but I have still managed to get the ball rolling with the following.

With a distinct lack of video-based cricket entertainment on the web, I have set about with a friend to produce candid footage of your favourite county cricketers, warts ‘n all, in front of a camera answering questions that they may or may not feel comfortable doing. It won’t just include cricketers though. The two men that stand in the middle trying to control the rabble that play county cricket, also have their say, as well as stalwart supporters, and the people that see more than they may wish – the dressing-room assistants and bus drivers!

I am in charge of gathering this footage. I am by no means Steven Spielberg, and it is definitely a work-in-progress. However, I do feel that it all adds to the uniqueness of the site! I can gain access to players that other journalists cannot. I know most of the players personally and feel comfortable asking them whatever I feel the urge to.

We think that we might have hit a gap in the market on this. It’s not your normal news-site, or even your standard video-blogging site. It’s something completely different. It will entertain and enable you to see cricketers in a different light to previously.

Keep an eye out for the site going live soon. Hit www.switchhitcricket.co.uk to view the early stages and promote as much as possible!

Related categories: Cricket, David Wigley, Northants, Steelbacks

Since returning from New Zealand, I think I should qualify for a hospital loyalty card if there was such a thing. To date, I have had three MRI scans, and two ultrasound scans. I should at least have my own parking space.

I have been relatively lucky with injury in the past and now it seems I am paying my dues and having them all at once. I am, however, very efficient with them…

I returned to British shores with my mystery niggle that I acquired down under. It became a less of a mystery and began healing throughout a four week non-bowling programme. I was able to build up to about 90% and felt good until it relapsed a little bit before we came to the conclusion that it was nothing a good stabbing with a hypodermic needle wouldn’t sort. With my injection appointment all but booked at the local hospital, I travelled up to Leicester on the third day of the first championship game of the season. The idea was to warm-up with the lads and take part in some cricket training, including fielding and light bowling. The reality was that during said warm-up, I rolled my ankle, tore my ligament and put myself out for a further six to eight weeks.

That is what I mean by efficient. I was looking at being out for about another seven to ten days after my injection, so if I was to roll my ankle anyway, I may as well overlap the final ten days of my hamstring injury with the first ten days of my ankle recovery.

I am now preparing myself for several weeks of tedious rehab and training alone. I will be completely out the loop when it comes down to changing room events and will therefore need something else to entertain me. The initial entertainment supplied by the large ‘club-foot’ boot I have to wear for the next week or so will surely wear thin when I keep hitting my head on door roofs and light-shades due to being three inches taller on one side than previously.

Related categories: Cricket, David Wigley, Northants, Steelbacks

This week there is no 1st team cricket at all. The Northants Steelbacks last night qualified for a home quarter final tie against Hampshire in the Twenty20 Cup. I went to the ground to do some local radio commentary and do a quick circuit around the hospitality boxes, before I snuck up to the committee room where there was a little relief from the sun, but unfortunately not from the suffocating humidity. (It feels the same today – I suspect thunderstorms are on the horizon). It was a comfortable win in the final group stage against my former club Worcestershire. They looked pretty dapper in their 2009 twenty20 kit, although I suspect the totally black outfit was less comfortable to wear in the 30 degree heat compared to the more retro maroon and gold of the Steelbacks.

With the absence of 1st team cricket for a few days, I think the squad is split in what it has decided to do individually, on consultation of the coach of course. I think a couple of the foreign contingency are taking advantage of being a couple of hour’s flight from Europe’s sights whilst the others may just rest up for two or three days before maybe getting back into training towards the end of the week.

Some players, myself included, are going to use the opportunity to get some red-ball practice in with the 2nd XI, who are down in Hove, playing against Sussex. In the second XI this season, the fixtures are grouped so that you play a 3 day game, and a 1 day game all in the same trip, to minimise travel. Because of this, a few of the more senior players will be playing one of the two games. Personally, I will be travelling down after the 1 day game, to play in the 3 day game. If Sussex also have a mini-break then you often find that other senior players might turn out against you, which makes for a really good contest, and good practice before the next County Championship game against Derbyshire which starts the following week.

My trips down to Sussex mean one thing – fish and chips! Well, they mean more than just that, but when you go down to Brighton, you can guarantee there will be a flat pitch, a short boundary on one side, good practice facilities and fish and chips! All in all, it’s a nice trip to go on, and the 2nd team coach, David Ripley will probably enjoy the company of players that are born on the same side of 1990 as him!

Related categories: Cricket, David Wigley, Northants, Steelbacks