Hughes family baffled by testimony at inquest
Family members of Phillip Hughes have wept at an inquest into the cricketer's death as a NSW ambulance director expressed his condolences on behalf of the service.
Hughes' brother Jason was absent from the Sydney coroner's court as Jamie Vernon, who was director of the control unit when Hughes was fatally struck at a Sheffield Shield match at the SCG in November 2014, gave evidence on Thursday.
The late batsman's father Greg broke down and put his arm around his daughter Megan towards the end of the testimony of Mr Vernon, who expressed his condolences on behalf of the service and attending paramedics.
Mr Vernon gave evidence about call-and-dispatch procedures, and said he'd be happy to work with cricket groups to ensure people knew what information was required in a Triple-0 call.
The court has heard the incident was initially assigned the third-highest rating because the man who called the first ambulance did not know if the cricketer was conscious, breathing or suffering serious bleeding.
A second Triple-0 call resulted in the matter being assigned the top category and the ambulance dispatched off the back of that call got to the Sydney Cricket Ground before the first.
On an emotion-charged day at Sydney's Downing Centre court, the Hughes family were left bewildered at the testimony of a Cricket Australia official, who says he didn't know about their concerns about the nature of play during investigations into the death of the batsman.
Hughes Inquest: Day three recap
Sports medicine and sports science manager Alex Kountouris told the court he "absolutely" did not know of the family's worries when he decided not to interview players or umpires for a 2015 report that ended up focusing on the response to Hughes' injuries.
Hughes' mother, Virginia, and sister, Megan, shook their heads at Mr Kountouris' denial, while his father, Greg, appeared to mouth an obscenity or the word "lying".
On Wednesday, the court heard from a friend of Hughes who claimed NSW bowler Doug Bollinger did say "I am going to kill you" on the playing field before the South Australian batsman was fatally struck by a ball.
Cricketers have testified that they can't recall Bollinger making the alleged sledge, which the Hughes family was concerned had been directed at the 25-year-old or his batting partner Tom Cooper.
But in a written statement to the inquest, former Tasmanian cricketer Matthew Day said Bollinger told him at an event after Hughes had died that he'd made the sledge.
"I can't believe I said that," Day recalled Bollinger saying in front of six or seven cricketers.
"I've said things like that in the past but I am never going to say that again."
Hughes died two days after being struck on the neck by a bouncer bowled by Sean Abbott during a Sheffield Shield match in Sydney on November 25, 2014.
Bollinger and Cooper both denied the claim when they took the stand earlier in the week.
State Coroner Michael Barnes is not expected to hand down his findings this week.
The five-day inquest continues.
