A FORMER Kington man who suffered critical injuries after falling 100ft at an Australian cricket match in February is planning a marathon run.

Teacher Mark Horrocks, 31, told of his recovery since he fell from an escalator at Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on a visit from his New Zealand home.

He said: “I feel mortal now, I appreciate things more, like my family, but I want things to be normal again. In September next year I want to run the Auckland marathon.”

But medics said the former Herefordshire county cricketer was “very lucky” to have recovered this far.

Registrar at Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital, Rohan Laging, said: “Apart from being unlucky because he fell from an escalator, he’s very lucky. I can’t believe he walked out of rehab on his own two legs, unaided.”

His rehab physician Brian Anthonisz added: “For someone who came in completely dependent on others for eating, dressing, showering, who was confused and disorientated, he’s done really, well.”

Friend Pete Whitehead, who lives in Melbourne but grew up in Hereford, told of the moment those with Mr Horrocks at the Twenty20 match between Australia and India realised something was wrong.

He said: “He was somewhere in the middle of the guys, I didn’t see him fall but I saw the consequences of it. There was lots of blood, it was just horrific.”

Yet despite sustaining broken wrists, bruised lungs and damage to his arms, leg and head, Mr Horrocks, who also played cricket for Kington and Cardiff and used to work at Monmouth Comprehensive School, has retained his sense of humour.

“I was moving on from teaching and had a job lined up selling orthopaedic products - you know synthetic knees, hips, that sort of stuff.

“I’ll be a walking advertisement,” he joked.