Tragic Death of Teenage Cricketer Ben Austin in Melbourne After Neck Injury

Mon Nov 10 2025 20:42:32 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Seventeen-year-old Ben Austin's life was cut short following a tragic accident during cricket training in Melbourne, prompting a call for enhanced safety measures in sports.

Ben Austin, a 17-year-old cricketer, tragically died after being hit in the neck by a cricket ball during practice in Melbourne. Despite being rushed to the hospital and placed on life support, he succumbed to his injuries days later, leaving his family and the cricket community in mourning. The incident raises safety concerns similar to those raised after the death of cricketer Phil Hughes in 2014.

An Australian teenager has died after he was struck by a cricket ball during a practice session in Melbourne.

Ben Austin, 17, was training - with a helmet but no neck guard - in cricket nets in Ferntree Gully on Tuesday when he was hit in the neck by a ball thrown using a handheld ball launcher.

Emergency workers attended the scene around 17:00 local time (06:00 GMT) before Ben was rushed to hospital in critical condition. He was put on life support but died on Thursday.

Ben's dad Jace Austin said the family was utterly devastated by the death of our beautiful Ben while Cricket Victoria stated that the cricketing community across the country would be mourning the teenager's death.

In a statement, Jace Austin shared details of his family's loss. 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, he said. 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.

Mr. Austin emphasized that the family was also supporting Ben's teammate who was bowling in the nets at the moment of the accident. This accident has impacted two young men and our thoughts are with he and his family as well, he said. He extended gratitude to the local cricketing community for their support since the accident and praised the first responders and medical staff who helped his son.

Cricket Victoria CEO Nick Cummins expressed the extremely challenging nature of this ordeal for all involved. He likened the incident to the tragic accident that claimed the life of Phil Hughes ten years ago, who also died after sustaining a neck injury from a cricket ball. Hughes' death led to improvements in safety equipment in cricket.

In the aftermath, Cricket Victoria announced that Ben was a talented player and popular teammate known in under-18 circles in Melbourne's southeast. It is heartbreaking to see a young life cut so short while Ben was doing something that he loved so much, Cummins remarked.

Ben played for the Ferntree Gully Cricket Club, which paid tribute to him on social media, encouraging friends and supporters to put your bats out for Benny, a gesture echoing the sentiment shown after Hughes' death. The Waverley Park Hawks Junior Football Club, where Ben played more than 100 games, remembered him as a kind, respectful, and fantastic footballer, highlighting the significant loss to both the clubs and the wider community.