Ben Austin: Australia cricketer dies after being hit by ball

Australia cricket was rocked on Thursday by the death of Ben Austin, a teenage player hit by a ball during training at his Melbourne club. 

Ben Austin, 17, was struck high in the neck by a ball delivered by a teammate while batting in the nets at Ferntree Gully Cricket Club on Tuesday, governing body Cricket Victoria (CV) said.

He was rushed to hospital and put on life support but died on Wednesday, his club said.

“The ball hit him in the neck in a similar accident that Phil Hughes suffered 10 years ago,” CV head of cricket Nick Cummins told Australian media.

Australian former test opener Hughes died in 2014 at the age of 25 two days after being hit in the neck by a short ball during a domestic match in Sydney.

Ben Austin had been wearing a helmet but not a neck protector, Cummins confirmed.

Neck protectors, often known as stem guards, are clip-on attachments to helmets which provide additional protection to a player’s neck and upper spine.

They have been mandatory in elite cricket in Australia since late-2023.

The ball that hit Austin was delivered by a hand-held throwing device known locally as a wanger.

Wangers are regularly used in cricket training settings to simulate bowling and reduce the physical strain on coaches and bowlers.

Austin’s family issued a statement saying they were “utterly devastated”.

“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,” the statement said.

“We would also like to support his teammate who was bowling in the nets – this accident has impacted two young men and our thoughts are with he and his family as well.” REUTERS