The impact of the ball hitting the teenager’s neck was similar to the death of Australian international Phil Hughes.
Published October 30, 2025
A 17-year-old cricketer has died in a training accident in a Melbourne suburb.
Local cricket officials announced on Thursday that Ben Austin was taken to hospital in a serious condition after being hit in the neck by a ball during practice at Ferntree Gully on Tuesday.
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He was batting inside the net, usually a practice pitch surrounded by a net, when he was injured in front of his teammates.
Ferntree Gully Cricket Club announced on Wednesday that Austin had died.
“We are completely devastated by Ben’s passing and the impact of his death will be felt by all of 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.”
Ringwood District Cricket Association president Michael Finn said Austin was warming up in the nets when he was injured.
“People on the ground at the time provided medical assistance until paramedics arrived,” he said.
Cricket Australia released a statement on behalf of the family from Ben’s father, Jace Austin.
In a statement, the family said: “While this tragedy took Ben from us, we can take some solace in the fact that he was doing what he had done for many summers – playing cricket with his mates in the nets.” “He loved cricket and it was one of the joys of his life.
“We would also like to support his teammates who were bowling at the net. This incident has affected two young men and our thoughts are with him and his family as well.”
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation quoted Cricket Victoria CEO Nick Cummins as saying that although Austin was wearing a helmet, “the ball hit him in the neck in an accident similar to the one that Phil Hughes had 10 years ago.”
In November 2014, international cricketer Philip Hughes died in a Sydney hospital two days after being hit by a ball near his ear while batting for South Australia in a first-class match against his former team, New South Wales. He was 25 years old.
Hours after Hughes’ death, Cricket Australia postponed the first cricket Test against India scheduled for Brisbane. New regulations were then introduced for batting helmets in top-level cricket.
