South African bowler Mondli Khumalo in hospital after assault

Somerset's T20 Blast livestream partner Trade Nation has pledged to donate £50 for every six, and £150 for every ball struck out of Taunton, during Friday's match against Glamorgan

Mondli Khumalo has successfully undergone a third operation to remove a further blood-clot on his brain.

The former South African Under-19 bowler, who is in the UK as an overseas player for North Petherton Cricket Club, has been in a medically induced coma at Bristol's Southmead Hospital since he was assaulted near the Green Dragon pub Bridgwater in the early hours of Sunday morning.

He suffered a fractured skull when falling to the ground having been struck, and was operated on immediately following his admission. A second operation took place on Monday morning after further spikes in his blood pressure caused by bleeding on the brain. 

The 20-year-old's condition was described as stable earlier on Tuesday, but he was rushed into surgery after his condition deteriorated.

Agent Rob Humphries and North Petherton teammate Lloyd Irish have been by Khumalo's bedside since the assault. They feared the worst after being told to "have a moment" with Khumalo three times during Tuesday afternoon, with doctors unsure of the prognosis.

Irish has since confirmed to The Cricketer that Khumalo's condition is stable, before describing his shock at the attack. "We can't get our heads around how this has happened - he is such a nice lad," he said.

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"Mondli has settled in really well; all of the youth team and parents love him to pieces. He's fitted in so nicely at our club and hasn't got a bad bone in his body. Everyone is absolutely gutted. We are in shock really: we just can’t see how he could have offended anyone in the slightest. He's not that sort of person."

Avon and Somerset police have arrested a 27-year-old man on suspicion of grievous bodily harm in relation to Sunday morning's incident. He has since been released under investigation.

Humphries is currently working with Cricket South Africa and the KZNCU to fast-track his mother's passport application. This will enable her to travel to the UK, along with Khumalo's uncle.

Khumalo featured for his country at the 2020 Under-19 World Cup and holds a high-performance contract with KwaZulu-Natal Inland for the 2022/23 season.

North Petherton Cricket Club have set up an online fundraising page to help support Khumalo's recovery. Somerset's T20 Blast livestream partner Trade Nation has pledged to donate £50 for every six, and £150 for every ball struck out of Taunton during Friday's match against Glamorgan.

^{Image courtesy of ICC Business Corporation FZ LLC}

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