/ 9 February 2006

‘Haunted house’ plagues cricketers

Five first-class cricketers sharing an allegedly haunted house in the South Island city of Dunedin have been hit by a ”spooky” run of injuries since taking up residence in the former home for the terminally ill.

Otago provincial representatives Greg Todd, Aaron Redmond, James McMillan, Neil Broom and South African Jonathan Trott have all suffered injuries while living in the former hospice, now converted into a five-bedroom townhouse.

Todd dislocated his right knee and broke his leg in a freak bowling accident, and Redmond dislocated his knee taking a catch, while McMillan, Broom and Trott suffered serious muscle strains in a two-week period that left the five players laid up simultaneously.

”These injuries have been a shocker. In the space of two weeks, everyone in the flat has gotten injured. It’s just too bizarre,” Redmond said. ”None of the other boys in the [Otago] squad have tended to get injured. It’s ironic because at the top of our house is a medical Red Cross. It’s like an ambulance cross on the roof — too bizarre.”

Todd said the plague of injuries has inevitably been connected to the house and its history.

”I don’t think we’ll be living in the same flat next year,” he said. ”It’s just unbelievable what has happened. It’s all a bit spooky.”

Trott said the roommates often find furniture and other items moved during the night and there have been reports of something moving on an upper floor. — Sapa-AP