HAMPSHIRE believe Middlesex should be able to replace Adam Voges for the remainder of their Specsavers County Championship match at The Ageas Bowl - and have made their views known.

The visitors’ captain is unable to play in the rest of the game after sustaining a head injury in freak circumstances, writes Simon Walter.

Voges returned to the Ageas Bowl yesterday, 24 hours after being struck on the head by the match ball, when it was thrown back on the field after crossing the boundary rope.

New safety directives following the tragic death of Phil Hughes prevent players from taking any further part in a match when concussion is suspected.

Hampshire coach Dale Benkenstein said: “It’s sensible, we don’t want any more fatalities.”

But Benkenstein does not think it is fair that Middlesex are only able to replace former Bournemouth CC and Hampshire player Voges with a 12th man in the field (and not as a batsman).

He said: “We got a few emails this morning saying the same thing happened in Australia to [New South Wales batsman] Ed Cowan, when Adam was captain of the opposition team [Western Australia, in February].

“Adam allowed [NSW] to have a replacement but the decision was not upheld because the Aussie board and the ICC said it is against the laws of the game.

“We were asked in the email, from an Australian doctor, if we would do the same as it might help the ruling be changed in the future.

“We said we would so [director of cricket] Giles White has spoken to Scotty (Middlesex coach Richard Scott).

“It won’t change anything in this match but we don’t want to have more situations like this,where a game is jeopardised by being reduced to 10 versus 11.

“Concussion is very different to other injuries because you don’t have the option to continue.”