Fans mourn the tragic death of 17-year-old Australian teenager Ben Austin after ball hits him during training

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An Australian teenager, Ben Austin, has tragically died after being struck by a cricket ball in a practice session in Melbourne. The 17-year-old was training in the nets on Tuesday, October 29, when the fatal accident occurred, immediately drawing heartbreaking parallels to the death of Test cricketer Phillip Hughes in 2014. Despite being rushed to the hospital and placed on life support in critical condition, the talented young player passed away on Thursday morning. The incident, where Ben was hit in the neck by a ball delivered from a hand-held device, has devastated his family, friends, and the wider Australian cricketing community.

Australian cricket is mourning the devastating loss of Ben, a talented and popular 17-year-old cricketer from Melbourne, who died after a horrific accident in the nets. The tragedy unfolded on Tuesday, October 29, around 17:00 local time, at Ferntree Gully in Melbourne’s southeast. Ben was training, reportedly warming up in the nets before a match, when he was fatally struck high in the neck by a ball. The delivery was thrown by a teammate using a hand-held device known locally as a ‘wanger’ (a type of ball thrower used to simulate fast bowling).

Ben was wearing a helmet at the time but was not using a neck guard, a protective attachment often known as a StemGuard. Emergency workers provided advanced life support before Ben was rushed to Monash Medical Centre in critical condition, where he was subsequently placed on life support. Despite the best efforts of medical staff, he succumbed to his injuries on Thursday morning.

Cricket Victoria CEO Nick Cummins confirmed the accident was  “A group of boys were having a practice session and a boy was hit with a ball that was thrown with a sidearm and hit him in the neck, in a similar sort of accident like Phil Hughes suffered,”  highlighting the rare and vulnerable area of the body that was struck. The accident has profoundly impacted his teammate who was throwing the ball, with the family extending their support to him as well.

Community tributes to Ben Austin and Phil Hughes parallels

The passing of Ben has shaken the local and national cricketing community, with an outpouring of grief and tributes led by his devastated family. Ben’s father, Jace Austin, released a statement, saying the family was “utterly devastated” by the death of their “beautiful Ben,” an adored son and deeply loved brother to Cooper and Zach. He found small comfort in knowing Ben died “doing something he did for so many summers, going down to the nets with mates to play cricket,” showcasing Ben’s deep love for the sport.

“We are utterly devastated by the passing of our beautiful Ben, who died earlier on Thursday morning. For Tracey and I, Ben was an adored son, deeply loved brother to Cooper and Zach, and a shining light in the lives of our family and friends. This tragedy has taken Ben from us, but we find some comfort that he was doing something he did for so many summers, going down to the nets with mates to play cricket. He loved cricket and it was one of the joys of his life.” Jace Austin, Ben’s father, said in a statement via Cricket Victoria.

Cricket Victoria’s CEO, Cummins further described Ben as a “talented player, popular teammate and captain who was well-known in Under 18 circles,” calling his short life’s end “heartbreaking.” The Ferntree Gully Cricket Club and the Waverley Park Hawks Junior Football Club (for whom Ben played over 100 games) both paid tribute to the kind, respectful, and fantastic young man. In a gesture mirroring the tributes paid to Hughes in 2014, friends and supporters have been asked to “put your bats out for Benny” as a mark of respect, and tributes like flowers, shirts, and bats have been laid at the Ferntree Gully club fence. The tragedy has reignited the discussion around mandatory neck guards in community cricket, a safety measure introduced for elite Australian players only in late-2023 following the 2014 Hughes fatality.

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Here’s how fans reacted:

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