The death of cricketer Phillip Hughes was an accident and neither sledging nor dangerous bowling were contributing factors, the coroner has found.
NSW Coroner Michael Barnes on Friday handed down his much-anticipated findings into the death of Hughes during an SCG Sheffield Shield match in November 2014.
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Phillip Hughes' death caused by 'minuscule misjudgment'
NSW coroner Michael Barnes delivers his findings on the manner and cause of Phillip Hughes' death. Vision courtesy ABC News 24.
The 25-year-old cricketer was killed by a Sean Abbott bouncer that struck his neck and tore an artery.
Mr Barnes made four recommendations including that the dangerous and unfair bowling laws be reviewed.
He said the repeated denials by players of "any sledging having occurred in the game in which Phillip Hughes was injured were difficult to accept".
He made no finding as to whether sledging did occur but said he hoped Hughes' death might cause players to reflect on its use in the game.
"Hopefully the focus on this unsavoury aspect of the incident may cause those who claim to love the game to reflect upon whether the practice of sledging is worthy of its participants," he said.
"An outsider is left to wonder why such a beautiful game would need such an ugly underside."
![Opponents and Phillip Hughes' batting partner said they could remember no sledging of Hughes the day he was hit.](/web/20161106010136im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/k/s/r/t/z/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gshbew.png/1478252223146.jpg)
Mr Barnes said there had been concern that Hughes had been subjected to excessive short pitched balls but he found "no failure to enforce the laws of the game contributed to his death".
"He could have avoided the ball by ducking under it, but such was his competitiveness he sought to make runs from it," Mr Barnes said.
![Cleared: Sean Abbott who bowled the fateful delivery arrives at the funeral.](/web/20161106010136im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/1/z/k/k/m/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gshbew.png/1478252223146.jpg)
"A minuscule misjudgment or a slight error of execution caused him to miss the ball, which crashed into his neck with fatal consequences.
"There is absolutely no suggestion the ball was bowled with malicious intent.
"Phillip wasn't wearing the most up-to-date safety helmet when he was struck and the rules that then applied didn't require him to do so.
"However, had he even been wearing the most modern equipment then available, it would not have protected the area of his body where the fatal blow landed," he said.
However, Mr Barnes recommended the laws around dangerous and unfair bowling be reviewed by Cricket Australia, saying there was some ambiguity in their wording.
"Further, the umpires who gave evidence acknowledged that more guidance of how the laws should be interpreted and applied would be of assistance," he said in his findings.
He also recommended that Cricket Australia work with sports equipment companies to develop a neck protector that can be mandated for wearing in all first-class cricket matches.
The coroner also said the SCG Trust and Cricket NSW should implement a daily medical briefing at the start of a day's play to ensure that everyone was aware of what they would do in the case of an emergency.
Umpires' training should also be reviewed so they could ensure medical assistance was "summoned effectively and expeditiously".
"The family's grief at losing their much loved son and brother was exacerbated by their belief that unfair play had contributed to his death," Mr Barnes said.
"However, it is hoped that they accept the compelling evidence that the rules were complied with, that Phillip was excelling at the crease as he so often did, and that his death was a tragic accident."
Cricket Australia's chief executive James Sutherland is expected to comment on the coroner's findings in Perth on Friday.
In a statement released on Friday night, Hughes' parents Greg and Virginia and siblings Jason and Megan, who were not in the courtroom when Mr Barnes handed down his findings, say they "accept" the Coroner's findings.
"Greg, Virginia, Jason and Megan accept the Coroner's findings. They have noted the four recommendations made by the Coroner and Cricket Australia's commitment to implement them", the statement said.
"They are deeply hoping that no other family has to go through the pain of losing a loved one on an Australian sporting field.
"As the Coroner has noted, Phillip's death has led to changes that will make cricket safer. The Hughes family hopes that this will be part of Phillip's legacy to the game that he loved so dearly."
ïğżSpeaking outside court after the findings were handed down, Cricket Australia high performance chief Pat Howard said the organisation's thoughts continued to be with the Hughes family.
"Our thoughts are also with Phillip's cricket friends and teammates, all of whom have lost a great mate," he said.
Cricket Australia boss James Sutherland, speaking after the coroner released his findings, said his organisation planned to implement the coroner's recommendations "as soon as practical".
He noted that Cricket Australia had "a responsibility and a duty to make sure something like this doesn't happen again".He suggested that sledging "can be in the spirit of the game, it can not be" depending on what words were used.
With AAP