Lessons of Hughes' life unforgettable in death

It was Phillip Hughes' sister Megan who spoke these words, but there was nary a soul in Macksville on Wednesday afternoon who did not feel the same way. From Trinidad to Sydney, from cricket to politics, from close family to far-flung friends, they had assembled for Hughes. Every last one wished they had come to see him bat.

The sense of loss was palpable, but so too was one of gratitude. Hughes had shown many of them great lessons in life. In his death playing the game, the example of his life will endure, and in the service that farewelled him, there were plenty to call upon.

Neither Macksville nor cricket has seen an event quite like it. Helicopters hovered overhead, a Test match-sized media contingent floated outside the Macksville High assembly hall, and buses conveyed a broad list of dignitaries and figureheads in addition to those who knew Hughes well.

For a time it felt as if the rolling cavalcade of notables, including Brian Lara, Virat Kohli, Shane Warne and Australia's prime minister Tony Abbott, would become too outsized for a gathering designed to celebrate Hughes' rich life, not ogle over the freakish circumstances of his death. Apart from the 1000 mourners in the hall, many scores more sat on the school's two ovals to watch on big screens.

But the deeply moving words of his family and his friends ensured that Hughes was farewelled in an entirely fitting manner, belying the scale of the event. Personal, teary and insightful, they told the world still more about how Hughes had inspired, well before and well beyond the daring deeds he performed with the bat for his hometown, club, state and country in a career too short.

From the eulogy delivered by his cousin Nino Ramunno, to personal letters by his siblings Megan and Jason and a tribute from his friend and cattle-business partner Corey Ireland, the full picture of Hughes emerged. Michael Clarke's tribute was mournful and emotional but also hopeful, that Hughes would be not only remembered but remain present in the thoughts, words and actions of all cricketers.

Ramunno's recollections said much about Hughes' cheekiness, his preference for "street smart" over "book smart", and his happenstance introduction to cricket via Jason, who challenged him to play as a fill-in one day or risk the quintessential sibling jibe of "wuss". Twenty-five runs on debut were not bad for a tailender, and there would soon be plenty more, even as Ramunno sat on his grade debut through the sorts of questions often asked of Hughes, like "geez he's small" and "has he got the power to hit the ball off the square".

But Hughes' progress could be measured by the words of Jason, who spoke of his younger brother in ways commonly reserved for an older one. Having given up on ever getting to bat first, Jason bowled to Phillip for hours, covered for him when he once ran away from home for three days to the New South Wales central coast, and was eventually inspired to follow when the younger brother trekked more permanently to Sydney for cricket. They enjoyed a final grade stand together for Western Suburbs - a partnership of 210 against Mosman that drove Jason to follow up by plucking 5 for 19.

Ireland showed that there was far more to Hughes' life than cricket. Not a follower of the game, he admitted to being clueless when a crowd surrounded the then Test opener and his father Greg when they perused Ireland's collection of cattle at a Royal Easter Show. This comic beginning grew into a friendship that offered one of the more poignant insights of the day. Hughes was forever asking Ireland and his wife about how they met, when they married and how much later they had children. There was more than cricket and cattle in his future.

Clarke's words were always likely to be tinged with sobs, and his lasting sense of disbelief was writ large across an affecting address. Resting a hand on his coffin as he went up to speak, among Clarke's first words were to express that widely held emotion: "I don't know about you but I keep looking for him; I know it's crazy, but I expect any minute to take a call from him or to see him around the corner."

When Clarke ventured out to the SCG on Thursday night following Hughes' death, to the spot where he fell against New South Wales last Tuesday, he "swore" his friend was with him. Taking a leaf from Australian indigenous lore, Clarke said Hughes spirit had touched the turf, "and it will forever be sacred ground for me". He suggested that Hughes had embodied the spirit of the game, and concluded with a message remembered from countless innings together with Hughes, when simple messages and reminders are so often best.

"We must dig in, and get through to tea. And we must play on. Rest in peace my little brother, I'll see you out in the middle."

A video produced by Cricket Australia's Adam Goldfinch then brought Hughes very much to life, through visions of him training or offering the sort of infectious enthusiasm he was known for. He could joke at himself, and he always intended to return to Macksville in the end. At this, Mitchell Johnson was far from the only one to wipe away tears.

With a few words from Cricket Australia's chief executive James Sutherland, who declared "cricket's heart has been pierced by pain but it will never stop beating", the funeral drew to a close, Hughes taken from the room on the shoulders of men including his father Greg and his captain Clarke. The procession that followed on through the heart of Macksville made a stirring sight. No witness will forget it, nor will they forget Hughes.