During a cricket match in the southern Israeli city of Ashdod on Saturday, an umpire died after a ball struck him in the jaw during a match.

The AFP news agency, quoting the Israel Cricket Association, said the umpire was 55-year-old Hillel Oscar, who was once captain of the Israeli national team.

Witness accounts indicate that a batsman hit a ball back down the wicket where it hit the stumps, bounced up and hit Oscar in the face. He was quickly taken to hospital, but died of his injuries.

Police are investigating the incident but have ruled out foul play.

The accident comes while the cricket world mourns the death of Australian batsman Phillip Hughes, who died earlier in the week after being struck in the back of the header by a bouncer.

mz/jh (AFP, AP, Reuters)