Batsman Tim Vokes hits 100 for Sparsholt after suffering heart attack

Now the 28-year-old has not only made spectacular recovery but he is back at the crease – and has hit a century.

Batsman Tim hit his winning ton while playing for Sparsholt in only his third game back.

Tim thanks his girlfriend Tanya Collis, 25, a trained nurse who works as a call-taker at South Central Ambulance Service based in Otterbourne for the reason he is still alive.

In April she was about to leave their home for work at 6.30am but she heard a noise coming from the bedroom and, realising something wasn’t right, found him having a heart attack.

Tim was born with a hole in his heart and has undergone heart surgery three times at Southampton General Hospital – the last time in 2011.

His heart problems have not stopped Tim leading an active life, he has been playing cricket since the age of 11 and also works as a carpenter in Winchester for Roger Ward building and design.

His first two games back did not go according to plan, scoring 10 and 14, and he had no idea that he would hit top-form so quickly.

“I just wanted to play myself in when I got to the crease but I smashed a four off the first ball and then started hitting a few boundaries – and I managed to keep our run rate ticking over while wickets were falling at the other end,” said Tim.

His superb innings meant his team won the game against Crown Tav-erners in Cam-berley, in Hampshire League Division Four North, by 50 runs.

Speaking about his close shave with death he said the experience has made him appreciate the life he shares in Basingstoke with his girlfriend and their two-year-old daughter Daniella.

He said: “I think you have to grab life with both hands do whatever feels good. I know cricketers are a superstitious bunch and the way that everything has panned out makes me think something up there was looking down on me when my heart attack happened.