Cricket Wellington made the use of helmets by all batsmen from year five - the first year when the hard ball is introduced - compulsory in 2001.
Wicketkeepers must also wear a helmet or mouthguard and fielders are not allowed within 10m of the bat.
But the biggest factor in decreasing head injuries was almost certainly the use of more artificial pitches, which mitigate against the dangerous and unpredictable bounce often generated by damp, uneven grass pitches, said chief executive Peter Clinton.
"Certainly down in Wellington there was a programme about six or seven years ago now where we actually installed quite a number [of artificial pitches] and I know Canterbury Cricket has done something similar over the years," Mr Clinton said.
"There are a whole lot of reasons why you prefer artificial wickets but undoubtedly the quality of the surface is a vast improvement for junior cricketers. That will be a factor in that decline."
In Auckland helmets are "strongly recommended" for primary aged players and compulsory for college players. Auckland Cricket was continually looking at ways to improve safety in the sport, chief executive Mark Cameron said.
"Technology has improved, the helmets and padding has improved and so has access and availability," Cameron said. "But we are all conscious of the risks around playing sport and we continue to look for opportunities to ensure we don't put our patrons or players at risk."
There appears little administrators can do to eliminate risk entirely, as the injury that ended Hughes' life showed.
"This was a freakish accident because it was an injury to the neck that caused haemorrhage in the brain," said Cricket Australia's doctor, Peter Brukner.
"If you look in the literature there are only 100 cases reported and only one caused by a cricket ball."
Helmet maker Masuri has developed a model that will provide extra protection near the area Hughes was struck, but the company has stopped well short of claiming its product could have saved the player's life. Complete protection in that area simply is not possible.
"This is a vulnerable area of the head and neck that helmets cannot fully protect, while enabling batsmen to have full and proper movement," the company said shortly after Hughes passed away.
Hughes' death was the second in just over a year of a player who suffered injury at the crease. Darryn Randall, a South African player, was struck on the head and died in October of 2013.
In New Zealand, ACC's records show there have been no cricket-related fatalities in the past five years. In fact, no cricket officials or identities spoken to by the Herald could recall any on-field fatalities in this country at all.
When heads are in the firing line
When the helmet worked ...
Australian fast-bowling legend Brett Lee was in his prime when he steamed in to bowl to Michael Papps in a One Day International at Eden Park in 2005. The speedgun clocks every ball Lee bowls to Papps at over 150km/h. Papps doesn't appear to see the 16th delivery of the match, with the opener turning his head at the last moment to collect the ball flush on the side of his helmet. Papps appears shaken but unhurt. Just 14 balls later another fierce Lee bouncer strikes Papps on the head, this time nearer the front of the helmet. Papps appears stunned but stays on his feet. When he removes his helmet an enormous bruise can be seen on his forehead. Papps retired hurt and has not played an ODI since.
Video: tinyurl.com/cricketpapps
... and when it didn't
England fast bowler James Anderson's bouncer made short work of Daniel Flynn's helmet during a test match in 2008. Flynn missed with an attempted hook shot and the ball hit him flush on the metal grille, pushing the metal frame back on to his face and snapping a tooth. "His left front tooth broke in two and the ones around it were rearranged," a team spokesman said at the time. Flynn, who required extensive dental treatment, retired hurt and spent the rest of the match at the team hotel. Legend has it he donned his whites and attempted to catch a taxi to the ground when the Black Caps were in trouble in the second innings, only to be prevented by team officials. Anderson was unrepentant about the delivery: "When you hit someone in the head, generally it encourages bowlers to bowl the bouncer again," he said. Flynn is now captain of Northern Districts.
Video: tinyurl.com/cricketflynn
