Teenage cricketer dies after training accident in Australia | Cricket News
A 17-year-old cricketer has died following a training accident in suburban Melbourne.
Local cricket officials said Ben Austin was rushed to hospital in a critical condition after being struck in the neck by a ball during training at Ferntree Gully on Tuesday.
He was hitting in the nets – which are usually training grounds surrounded by nets – when the injury occurred in front of his teammates.
Ferntree Gully Cricket Club confirmed on Thursday that Austin had died.
“We are absolutely devastated by Ben’s passing, and the impacts of his death will be felt by everyone in our cricket community,” the club said in a statement.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family… his friends and everyone who knew Ben and the joy he brought.”
Mourners pay respects at cricket nets after death of Australian cricketer Ben Austin
Tributes are left on the cricket nets
Ringwood and District Cricket Association president Michael Finn said Austin was warming up in the nets when the injury occurred.
“Medical assistance was provided by those present on the ground until the arrival of paramedics,” he explained.
Cricket Australia released a statement from Ben's father, Jace Austin, on behalf of the family.
“This tragedy has taken Ben from us, but we find some comfort in the fact that he was doing something he did for so many summers: going to the nets with friends to play cricket,” the family statement said. “He loved cricket and it was one of the joys of his life.
“We would also like to support his teammate who was playing in the nets. This accident has affected two young men and our thoughts are also with him and his family.”
The Australian Broadcasting Corp. quoted Nick Cummins, CEO of Cricket Victoria, as saying Austin was wearing a helmet and “the ball hit him in the neck in an accident similar to that suffered by Phil Hughes 10 years ago”.
In November 2014, international cricketer Phillip Hughes died in a Sydney hospital two days after being hit near the ear by a ball while batting for South Australia against his former team New South Wales in a first-class match. He was 25 years old.
New regulations were then introduced for batting helmets in top-level cricket.
2025-10-30 20:06:00
