Bollinger and Haddin on the stand

New South Wales fast bowler Doug Bollinger has refuted a claim that he sledged Phillip Hughes with the phrase "I'm going to kill you" on the opening day of the NSW Coroner's Court inquest into the batsman's death.

The court heard an allegation Bollinger made the remark towards Hughes and his South Australia batting partner Tom Cooper on the opening day of a Sheffield Shield match between NSW and South Australia in November 2014.

Hughes had reached 63 from 160 balls before he was struck on the neck in the 49th over of the Shield match at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The 25-year-old died in hospital two days later as a result of a traumatic basal subarachnoid haemorrhage caused by the blow.

The NSW Coroner's Court is holding a week-long public inquest into the death of Hughes. State Coroner Michael Barnes said the purpose of the inquest was "not to lay any blame".

"(Hughes's) death was a terrible accident, but it doesn't mean cricket can't be made safer," Mr Barnes said.

Former Australia Test players Bollinger and Brad Haddin – the NSW Blues captain the day Hughes was struck – were called to give evidence on the opening day.

Bollinger emphatically denied the accusation he said "I'm going to kill you" to Hughes or Cooper.

"I know in my heart I didn't say that," Bollinger said.

"I don't remember saying anything like that to anyone.

"I didn't sledge Phil."

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NSW Police Detective Senior Constable Jay Tonkin told the court Jason Hughes, Phillip's brother, had raised the allegation Bollinger had uttered the sledge.  The court was told Jason Hughes learned of the alleged sledge two days after the incident.

Det Snr Con Tonkin added none of the players recalled that sledge when they gave their statements, which were taken some 18 months after the incident.

Counsel assisting the Coroner, Ms Kristina Stern SC, told the court the umpires on the day, Ash Barrow and Mike Graham-Smith, "did not recall any on-field talk between the opposing cricketers that concerned them nor any concerns being raised by the batsmen".

Haddin also told the court he didn't hear any sledging between the teams and denied there was a concerted tactic to target Hughes with short-pitched bowling.

"The game was played in a good spirit. It was just a normal game of cricket," Haddin said.

"It just happened to be that there was two ex-NSW players out there."

Haddin said he discussed tactics at lunch with then NSW coach Trevor Bayliss.

"Basically we were talking about needing to slow the scoreboard down," Haddin said.

"At the time South Australia were scoring pretty freely so the tactic was just to put the fielders out and cut off the boundary options to South Australia.

"I was moving the field. I didn't have any discussions with the bowlers about what I wanted them to do.

"We had a pretty young bowling attack, I didn't want to complicate things for them. From a captain's point of view I just wanted to cut the boundaries down."

The court heard that David Warner, in a written statement, said the team had devised a tactic to bowl over the wicket at the left-handed Hughes's leg stump to force him onto the back foot and look to get him out hooking or pulling.

Haddin, the captain for the match, denied that was the plan.

"One of the bowlers was a spin bowler", Haddin said. "If I wanted them playing off the back foot I would have used different bowlers.

"There was no discussion with anyone at NSW about bowling a higher number of short balls."

Warner is expected to present evidence to the inquest via video link from South Africa where he is on duty with the Australia one-day squad. 

Haddin, who is among a number of cricketers who have avoided watching a replay of the incident, described being first on the scene after Hughes was struck.

"I seen him get hit by the ball, I wasn't sure where the ball got him," Haddin said.

"My first recollections were he looked ok for about three seconds. Then it was like something I've never, ever witnessed before in my life when he fell down.

"It was the noise he let out, the groan and the way he fell straight down motionless without breaking his fall."

The court heard the Hughes family, with parents Greg and Virgina and siblings Megan and Jason present, had three main concerns they wished to have addressed.

They included the time it took for appropriate medical attention to arrive, the number of short-pitched balls directed at Hughes, particularly after the lunch break, and the allegation of verbal exchanges between the teams.

The inquest continues for the remainder of the week before State Coroner Michael Barnes.