Vatican cricket club pay tribute to Phillip Hughes

St Peter’s Cricket Club, the Vatican’s cricket team, has paid tribute to Phillip Hughes, the Australian batsman who died last week.

The players joined the ‘#putoutyourbats’ Twitter tribute, which has become a global phenomenon, with Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, tweeting a picture of a row of bats and St Peter’s Cricket Club caps.

The Cardinal’s message also included the news that a Mass will be held later today for Mr Hughes, who was killed after being struck by a ball while playing for South Australia in a match against New South Wales at Sydney Cricket Ground, and “all in sports whose deaths seem to us untimely”.

The Mass, which will be attended by St Peter’s players, has been organised by Australia’s ambassador to the Holy See, John McCarthy, and will take place at the English College in Rome.

The 25-year-old Mr Hughes played 26 Tests for Australia and he became the youngest player ever to score two centuries in a match. His funeral will be held on Wednesday.

In September, St Peter’s Cricket Club toured England, playing a match against a Church of England XI.