Coach Andrew Woodward cricket board for £200,000 after being crushed by bowling machine

An elite cricket coach is seeking more than £200,000 in compensation after being crushed by a heavy bowling machine during a training session at a prestigious £45,000-a-year private school.

The incident, which occurred at Ryde School, the Isle of Wight’s only boarding school, has led to a lawsuit alleging negligence against his employers.

Andrew Woodward, a former Derbyshire bowler, claims that he sustained multiple injuries in February 2023 when a 75kg “Bola” training machine toppled over and pinned him.

The powerful electronic device, designed to simulate bowling actions at speeds up to 95mph and standing over 7ft tall on a tripod, fell as Mr Woodward was positioning it for a weekly under-12s county coaching session in the school's sports hall.

Following the accident, the 57-year-old received treatment for extensive bruising, soft tissue damage to his left knee and neck, and a lower back injury that resulted in “severe back pain and restriction of movement”.

He said that the ordeal has left him with enduring physical discomfort and psychological symptoms, including “low mood, anxiety and reduced confidence”.

Mr Woodward is now suing the Isle of Wight Cricket Board Ltd, where he served as a head coach, claiming negligence.

He specifically claimed a failure by the board to provide adequate lifting equipment or assistance necessary for safely handling the substantial training apparatus.

The Cricket Board has accepted breach of duty in failing to provide a trolley to move the heavy machine, but disputes that the accident caused the extensive injuries claimed by Mr Woodward.

Mr Woodward is described in court documents as an “elite level” bowling coach who formerly played for Derbyshire Cricket Club’s second XI.

In court documents, his lawyers said that he was taking a regular under-12s coaching session and was setting up the bowling machine for the coming session.

His barrister Mark Lomas said that Mr Woodward had to transport the machine in its wooden box without any assistance or trolley, adding that the combined weight of the 40kg machine plus the box was up to 75kg.

“He lifted the box by the handles and rested its weight on his thighs, leaning back to counterbalance the size and weight of the box, and walked it, resting on his thighs, across the sports hall but with the lower end of the box clear of the floor,“ he said.

“He manoeuvred the bowling machine in its box towards the required location, by raising the box upright on its shortest side and walking it across the floor when he lost his balance and fell backwards onto the floor, the equipment landing on top of him, whereby he suffered significant injury.”

The former bowler claims the accident has heavily impacted his career, hampering his ability to carry on top level coaching activities due to lasting pain and disability.

Before the accident, he says he was at the top of his game, having been named as an England and Wales Cricket Board’s coach of the year in 2022 in recognition of his efforts to get young people on the Isle of Wight involved in cricket during the pandemic.

“The claimant worked as a cricket and sports coach, including coaching cricket at an elite level, and in related cricketing activity, including umpiring matches,“ said the barrister.

“He has been unable to continue with his coaching and related activities as before because of the symptoms of his injury and he has suffered a substantial loss of income, which continues,” the barrister added.

Lawyers for the Isle of Wight Cricket Board accept “breach of duty” in “failing to provide a wheelie trolley for the bowling machine”, but deny that the February 2023 fall triggered the injuries of which Mr Woodward now complains.

And although Mr Woodward went to the hospital following the accident, the board says he has displayed “inconsistent” symptoms and dispute that the accident is the cause of the problems he says he suffers.

The case reached court in April for a brief hearing before Master Guy Lê-Thornett, dealing with preparations for a full trial of Mr Woodward's compensation claim.

It will return to court at a later date, unless the parties agree a settlement outside of court.

No allegations have been made against Ryde School, which is not a party to the case.

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