A CRICKETER who had a ball smashed into his face after a ferocious hit by a batsman said he was lucky to be alive.

Mick Haslam, a bowler for Ramsbottom Cricket Club, was struck on the forehead after a slog by Haslingden's batsman David Bandy during a quick-fire Twenty20 Lancashire League game.

The shot was a "free ball", meaning Mr Bandy could not be out from Mr Haslam's bowling - so the Australian batsman hit the ball back even harder than normal.

Amazingly, lucky Mr Haslam, 37, suffered no fracture to his skull and needed only stitches, despite having blood gushing from the wound as he lay on the pitch following the incident on Friday.

He said: "From what I can remember, I was bowling and David came down the pitch and absolutely hammered the ball straight back at me.

"I didn't see it and it hit me on the forehead.

"I went down and then I can't really remember anything else."

Mr Haslam remained conscious and he was assisted by an off-duty paramedic who helped him out before an ambulance arrived and took the veteran bowler to Fairfield General Hospital in Bury.

He added: "The x-rays were clear and I only had to have 12 stitches.

"Then they sent me home and I have been groggy ever since. I don't feel too bad. It was the shock more than anything."

However, Mr Haslam, of Hazelwood Drive, Bury, has declared the smash in the face was "just cricket" and has already vowed to return to action this weekend. "It is just one of those things and it was lucky that it hit me where it did," he added.

"I don't like to think of it like that but it could have killed me.

"Now I think it is just best to get straight back in and play. I can't see it happening again."

Mr Bandy, 30, Haslingden's overseas professional player for this season, said: "I got his number off one of the lads and I sent him a text to wish him well. He took it as well as anyone on the field. He was saying don't worry about it and it was great to see him down at Rammy over the weekend."

Ramsbottom's chairman Rodney Hamer said: "Mick was unlucky in the first place but quite fortunate that the ball just hit him in the right area of the face, just above the eyebrow.

"If it had been lower it could have permanently redesigned his face.

"I think Twenty20 probably makes playing cricket more dangerous, although these sorts of injuries are very, very rare."