RADCLIFFE Cricket Club professional Gary Sobers was injured when the car he was driving hit a cattle truck.

Mr Sobers and passenger Tom Dewdney, West Indian cricket professional for Darwen, were treated in a Midlands hospital for cuts, bruises and shock.

Another passenger, 25-year-old West Indian Test cricketer Collie Smith, died of the injuries he sustained in the collision.

He received severe injuries to the spine and head, and doctors fought for three days to save his life.

The three famous cricketers were travelling overnight to take part in a charity match in London.

The crash occurred at 4.45am on the notorious Darlaston bend near Stone, Staffordshire, on the A34 road.

The car collided head on with a 10-ton cattle truck. The driver of the truck crawled out unhurt and called for help.

Mr Sobers received a constant stream of visitors at the hospital since the accident. Among them were Frank Worrell, former Radcliffe professional, and his landlady, Mrs DM Mather, and Roy Gilchrist, the Middleton West Indian professional.

Mrs Mather, of Countess Lane, visited the hospital every day and took greetings and good wishes from many of Mr Sobers’ friends in the town.

There was so much concern in the West Indies about the health of the country’s best and most popular players, that the BBC gave Mr Worrell half an hour of broadcasting time on the overseas service to give a personal report on their conditions.