Dreadful news - RIP Matthew Hobden

I can only imagine what effect this tragedy will have on all those who knew Matt, especially his teammates. Sussex may need to enlist professional help in order for his colleagues to come to terms with this.

News of the untimely death of Matt Hobden has been met with a huge response in the media and by clubs and individuals throughout Sussex. This thread has already been viewed more than 1200 times.  Today's Argus carries 5 pages of articles, photos and reminiscences of Matt, including a very personal and heartfelt column by Steve Hollis.

Sussex Cricket have opened a Book of Condolence at Hove for those wishing to pay their respects to Matthew Hobden. The book will be available in the Club Shop at Hove, open 9.00 till 5.00 on weekdays. It  has also been revealed that Matt signed a two-year extension to his contract shortly before Christmas.

Other demonstrations of sympathy and loss include this poignant photo, tweeted by his former club Glynde and Beddingham. Their clubhouse will be open at 6pm on Wednesday and Thursday for tributes to be left.

 

A sad but heart-warming story from Paul Weaver of 'The Guardian'.

www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/jan/04/matt-hobden-sussex-mourning-bowler

At Luke Wright's instigation both teams in the Melbourne Stars v Hobart Hurricanes BBL match today are wearing black armbands as a mark of respect for Matt Hobden's death.

The family of Matthew Hobden, the Sussex pace bowler, have said he died while celebrating New Year with friends in Scotland.



His body was discovered by Police Scotland on Saturday at a property in Forres near Inverness. An investigation into his death is continuing but the police have said there are not thought to be any suspicious circumstances.



The police will submit a report to the prosecutor fiscal who will decide if an inquiry into the death is required.



Hobden, 22, made 18 first-class appearances for Sussex and was due to be part of the Potential England Performance Programme (PEPP) on a trip to South Africa where he would have bowled at the senior England team during their preparation for the ODI series against South Africa.



In a statement released through Police Scotland, his family said: "We are deeply saddened by the sudden death of Matthew who had been celebrating the New Year with friends in the Forres area.



"We now ask that we are left alone to deal with the tragic circumstances that have unfolded and are allowed to grieve in private at this difficult time."



Kevin Shine, the ECB's lead fast bowling coach, said he had seen enough of Hobden during his time around the PEPP to say he would be an England bowler of the future.



"As a player, I remember the first time I saw him just thinking 'wow'. He was the strongest, most powerful cricketer I've ever seen on that programme - up there with elite athletes from different sports. His potential was huge, he was improving rapidly and I'm certain that he would have played for England.



"But for all that, my over-riding memory of Matt will be of his character, he was a wonderful lad. It's devastating for all who knew him to have lost him so young."



England's players wore black armbands on the second day of the Newlands Test while in the Big Bash, where Sussex captain Luke Wright is playing for Melbourne Stars, his side and Hobart Hurricanes wore black armbands in Wednesday's match.

And now it gets a little more complicated. The report in the Hastings and St Leonards Observer carries the same details as the Mirror, but is headed "Sussex cricketer Hobden ‘fell asleep and fell off roof top’ on New Year’s Eve".  New Year's Eve was on a Thursday and the reports of MH's death are consistent in that it was announced as a discovery on the Saturday, January 2nd. It seems inconceivable that the house-party at Dalvey House simply didn't notice him or his absence throughout the Friday, so the question is whether his death happened on New Year's Eve and wasn't reported for another 36 hours or so until Saturday afternoon, or whether it happened on the night of Friday 1st/Saturday 2nd?

We will probably have to wait until the results of the autopsy and the subsequent inquest to learn more of this, but the police comment of "no suspicious circumstances" now seems a little premature.