West Australian cricketer Hilton Cartwright played one of the memorable innings of his life amid the birth of his second child. The right-handed batter decided to retire mid-innings during the Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania as soon as the news of his child’s birth arrived. He was batting on 52* when he received a call during a tea break on day 2.
Hilton Cartwright was informed that his wife Tameka had gone into induced labor due to complications. His wife was 37 weeks pregnant when she was advised to proceed for an early delivery. Soon after receiving the news, Cartwright left the field to be with his wife through the birth. However, the 32-year-old returned to the field again to complete his knock.
Never meant to be affected by the birth of our second child: Hilton Cartwright
Soon after the birth of his child and completing all the necessary documentations, Hilton Cartwright returned to the field again as the right-hander, ending up scoring 65 runs before losing his wicket to Riley Meredith. The West Australian cricketer said that he thought the match won’t be affected as his wife was just 37 weeks pregnant. However, the 32-year-old made the opponents aware about the situation.
“My wife Tameka was only just 37 weeks pregnant, so this match against Tassie was never meant to be affected by the birth of our second child, which is why I chose to play,” Cartwright was quoted as saying by India Today. “Tasmania was made aware of this situation during the innings break. Between myself, the coaches, and (West Australian captain) Sam (Whiteman), we had a plan in place surrounding the time I needed to leave the ground at the tea break in the hope of returning to the crease at a later point in the innings,” he added.
