[Angus]

As sad and tragic as this incident is, there is no need for ridiculous knee jerk reactions. Already in playgrounds around the UK children are reduced to shuffling around at break times with nothing to do because skipping ropes, footballs, conkers, climbing frames, tennis rackets, etc etc have all been banned in case someone has an accident.

Thank goodness I was a child in an age when all this mollycoddling didn't exist, and kids were allowed to grow up with a strong and healthy approach to independence, personal responsibility was encouraged, and freedom to enjoy their leisure time without the Health and Safety bleeding hearts brigade sticking their oar in.

If this is a result of a playground brawl that is hardly something that occurs every day now is it? If it was an act of malice, then the perpetrator could just as easily have thrown any hard, heavy object. Don't blame the cricket ball, blame the moron who threw it.