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10-04-2005, 08:09 PM
Cricketer Scott Mason dead at 28
April 9, 2005
TASMANIAN cricketer Scott Mason has died at the age of 28, just two days after suffering a heart attack while batting in the nets.
The Pura Cup player, who had open heart surgery last year to have a new aortic valve attached, fell to his knees and then had a seizure in front of Tasmanian coaching staff at Bellerive Oval nets on Thursday morning.
He was taken to Royal Hobart hospital and passed away today at 4am following complications.
Former Tasmanian captain Jamie Cox led the tributes for the left-handed opener who played 28 first class matches for the Tigers.
“It is just tragic and ironic that a guy whose heart was metaphorically so big and a man who was so courageous that it was the thing in the end that cost him his life,” Cox said.
“A likeable guy, competitive and inspirational, and one of our true team leaders, and we missed him on the field enormously this season, undoubtedly on the field, but nowhere near as much as we will miss him now.
“He was such a natural leader and so much so, he may have been a future Tasmanian captain.
“His career was just about to take off when he was struck down last year.”
Cox felt it was appropriate that Mason spent his final moments not in hospital, but with his bat and pads on.
“He was a guy who was as tough as possible, and took his last breath with his bat in his hand, like a warrior,” he said.
“He touched a lot of people in his life, he was a really determined little bugger who never gave in but unfortunately this battle was too much for him.”
Cox paid his condolences to the Mason family and Scott's partner Michelle Howell.
Tasmanian Cricket Association chairman Brent Palfreyman said Mason was not the most gifted cricketer but had made the first class scene through sheer determination.
“He should have had so much more cricket and so much more life in him,” Palfreyman said.
Mason sat out the entire summer following heart surgery and spent nine weeks in hospital last year.
He had scored two centuries and five half-centuries after making his debut in the 1997-98 season and played all of Tasmania's 10 Pura Cup matches in the 2003-04 season.
Mason was renowned for his fitness and was first diagnosed of his heart problem after feeling sluggish during pre-season training last August.
The Pura Cup batsman was forced to miss the season in which Tasmania won its second domestic title by defeating Queensland in the one-day final in Brisbane.
“Until you have gone through open heart surgery, you can't prepare for it,” Mason said in January.
“To have a surgeon tell you that you could die, it is hard to describe.”
Mason had a human valve rather than an artificial one attached so that he could continue his sporting career.
Tasmanian team medical officer Dr Peter Sexton said he was shocked by Mason's turn and had felt that his rehabilitation had been on track before Thursday.
Name: Scott Robert Mason
Age: 28
Born: Launceston
Batting style: Left hand
First class record 1252 runs at 27.21 in 28 matches with two hundreds and five fifties.
April 9, 2005
TASMANIAN cricketer Scott Mason has died at the age of 28, just two days after suffering a heart attack while batting in the nets.
The Pura Cup player, who had open heart surgery last year to have a new aortic valve attached, fell to his knees and then had a seizure in front of Tasmanian coaching staff at Bellerive Oval nets on Thursday morning.
He was taken to Royal Hobart hospital and passed away today at 4am following complications.
Former Tasmanian captain Jamie Cox led the tributes for the left-handed opener who played 28 first class matches for the Tigers.
“It is just tragic and ironic that a guy whose heart was metaphorically so big and a man who was so courageous that it was the thing in the end that cost him his life,” Cox said.
“A likeable guy, competitive and inspirational, and one of our true team leaders, and we missed him on the field enormously this season, undoubtedly on the field, but nowhere near as much as we will miss him now.
“He was such a natural leader and so much so, he may have been a future Tasmanian captain.
“His career was just about to take off when he was struck down last year.”
Cox felt it was appropriate that Mason spent his final moments not in hospital, but with his bat and pads on.
“He was a guy who was as tough as possible, and took his last breath with his bat in his hand, like a warrior,” he said.
“He touched a lot of people in his life, he was a really determined little bugger who never gave in but unfortunately this battle was too much for him.”
Cox paid his condolences to the Mason family and Scott's partner Michelle Howell.
Tasmanian Cricket Association chairman Brent Palfreyman said Mason was not the most gifted cricketer but had made the first class scene through sheer determination.
“He should have had so much more cricket and so much more life in him,” Palfreyman said.
Mason sat out the entire summer following heart surgery and spent nine weeks in hospital last year.
He had scored two centuries and five half-centuries after making his debut in the 1997-98 season and played all of Tasmania's 10 Pura Cup matches in the 2003-04 season.
Mason was renowned for his fitness and was first diagnosed of his heart problem after feeling sluggish during pre-season training last August.
The Pura Cup batsman was forced to miss the season in which Tasmania won its second domestic title by defeating Queensland in the one-day final in Brisbane.
“Until you have gone through open heart surgery, you can't prepare for it,” Mason said in January.
“To have a surgeon tell you that you could die, it is hard to describe.”
Mason had a human valve rather than an artificial one attached so that he could continue his sporting career.
Tasmanian team medical officer Dr Peter Sexton said he was shocked by Mason's turn and had felt that his rehabilitation had been on track before Thursday.
Name: Scott Robert Mason
Age: 28
Born: Launceston
Batting style: Left hand
First class record 1252 runs at 27.21 in 28 matches with two hundreds and five fifties.