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The fatal bashing of a father of five during a Christmas Day family beach cricket match has devastated his drought-ravaged West Australian community.
And his death has also touched the highest levels of Australian cricket.
Sheep farmer William John Rowe, 49, died in hospital after his family was attacked by a group of about 25 people as they played cricket across the road from their home at Sunset Beach in Geraldton, north of Perth.
Police yesterday were hunting for Rowe's attackers.
The community of Yalgoo, where the Rowes' sheep farm is located, two hours east of Geraldton, is struggling to come to terms with the death, Shire of Yalgoo president Don Anderson said.
"We are in our seventh year of drought and things are pretty crook just in general - but with this on top of it, on Christmas Day, it is just so hard to cope you can't believe it," he said. "You just can't get your mind around such a disgusting attack."
Cricket Australia confirmed that Adam Gilchrist, a Rowe family friend, was wearing a black armband in yesterday's test as a mark of respect for Rowe. Anderson said the attack happened after the Rowe family told a group of about five people to stop taking drinks out of their chilly bin.
The five left but returned a short time later with about 20 others and attacked the Rowe family with bottles, rocks and sticks. A 29-year-old man identified only as Luke, who had become engaged to one of Rowe's two daughters just three hours earlier, was slashed in the face with a broken bottle and had his jaw and collarbone broken.
Police Sergeant Brian Cowie said Rowe was fatally injured when the family tried to move Luke to their nearby car to take him to hospital.
Rowe was hit on the head with his own cricket bat as he tried to retrieve it from the group, who had surrounded the car and were screaming and shouting.
"He asked for the cricket bat back, was hit on the head and fell on the ground unconscious," Cowie said. Rowe and Luke were taken to Geraldton Regional Hospital, where Rowe died.
Anderson described Rowe, the husband of Yalgoo's deputy president Ellen Rowe, as a quiet, very happy man and a good Christian who was always ready to help others in the community.
"He was a wonderful family man, a doting dad. He wouldn't hurt a fly."
Rowe is survived by his wife, two daughters, three sons and a grandchild.
- AAP
