Cricket coach Andrew Woodward suing Ryde School on Isle of Wight for £200,000 after being crushed by bowling machine

A distinguished cricket coach is seeking more than £200,000 in damages after being crushed under a heavy bowling machine during training at a prestigious £45,000-a-year private school.

The incident, which took place at Ryde School, the Isle of Wight’s only boarding school, led to a lawsuit being filed against its employers for alleged negligence.

Andrew Woodward, a former Derbyshire bowler, claims he suffered multiple injuries when a 75kg ‘Bola’ training machine tipped over and trapped him in February 2023.

The powerful electronic device, designed to simulate bowling action at speeds of up to 95mph and standing more than 7ft high on a tripod, crashed as Mr Woodward set it up for a weekly under-12 district coaching session in the school gym.

Following the accident, the 57-year-old was treated for a lower back injury that resulted in extensive bruising to his left knee and neck, soft tissue damage and “severe back pain and limitation of movement.”

He said the ordeal left him with lasting physical ailments and psychological symptoms, including “low mood, anxiety and diminished confidence.”

Mr Woodward is now suing the Isle of Wight Cricket Board Ltd, where he served as head coach, for alleged negligence.

Specifically, he alleged that the board failed to provide adequate lifting equipment or support necessary for the safe transportation of important training apparatus.

The Cricket Board deemed it a breach of duty to fail to provide a cart to move the heavy machinery, but disputes that the accident caused the serious injuries claimed by Mr Woodward.

Mr Woodward is described in court documents as an “elite level” bowling coach who previously played in Derbyshire Cricket Club’s second XI.

In court documents, his lawyers said he regularly attended an under-12 coaching session and set up his bowling machine for the upcoming session.

His lawyer, Mark Lomas, said Mr Woodward had to carry the machine in its wooden box without the need for any assistance or a cart, adding that the total weight of the 40kg machine plus the box was up to 75kg.

“He lifted the box by its handles and rested his weight on his thighs, leaning back to balance the size and weight of the box and resting on his thighs, he walked it across the gym with the bottom end of the box above the ground,” he said.

“He maneuvered the bowling machine to the required location in the box, lifted the box vertically from its shortest side and walked it on the ground, lost his balance and fell backwards to the ground, the equipment fell on him and he was seriously injured.”

The former bowler claims the accident severely affected his career, hindering his ability to pursue senior coaching activities due to persistent pain and injury.

He says he was at the top of his game before the accident, having been named coach of the year by the England and Wales Cricket Board in 2022 for his efforts to encourage youngsters on the Isle of Wight to take up cricket during the pandemic.

“The plaintiff worked as a cricket and sports coach, including coaching cricket at the elite level, and engaged in related cricket activities, including umpiring matches,” the lawyer said.

“Due to the symptoms of his injury, he was unable to continue his coaching and related activities as before and suffered a significant loss of income, and this continues,” the lawyer added.

Lawyers for the Isle of Wight Cricket Board accept a “breach of duty” in the “failure to provide dolly for the bowling machine” but deny that the fall in February 2023 triggered the injuries Mr Woodward now complains of.

Although Mr Woodward went to hospital following the crash, the panel says he showed “inconsistent” symptoms and disputes that the crash was the cause of the problems he said he was experiencing.

The case reached court in April for a brief hearing before Master Guy Lê-Thornett in preparation for a full hearing on Mr Woodward’s compensation claim.

Unless the parties reach an agreement out of court, the case will return to court at a later date.

No allegations were made against Ryde School, which is not a party to the case.