WEB DESK: A 17-year-old cricketer from Melbourne tragically passed away after being struck by a ball during a practice session.
Ben Austin, a talented young player from Ferntree Gully, sustained a fatal injury to the neck while training in the nets at Wally Tew Reserve in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs on Tuesday afternoon.
Despite being rushed to the hospital and placed on life support, Austin succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday, according to a statement from his club.
Nick Cummins, Cricket Victoria’s head of cricket, shared with Australian media that the incident bore similarities to the one involving Phil Hughes a decade ago. Hughes, the former Australian Test opener, died at 25 in 2014, two days after being struck in the neck by a short-pitched delivery during a domestic match in Sydney.
Austin was reportedly wearing a helmet at the time but was not equipped with a neck protector, as confirmed by Cummins. Neck protectors, also known as stem guards, are clip-on additions to helmets designed to safeguard the neck and upper spine. These have been mandatory in elite-level cricket in Australia since late 2023.
The ball that struck Austin was delivered using a practice tool locally referred to as a wanger. These hand-held devices are commonly used in cricket training sessions to replicate bowling while minimizing physical strain on coaches and bowlers.
