Melbourne has been left reeling after the death of 17-year-old cricketer Ben Austin, who was struck by a cricket ball during warm-up practice. The incident occurred at Walley Tew Reserve in Ferntree Gully, in Melbourne’s southeast, around 4:45 pm on Tuesday.
Ben, an active member of the Ferntree Gully Cricket Club, Mulgrave Cricket Club, and Eildon Park Cricket Club, was reportedly preparing for a T20 match when he was struck in the head and neck area. Emergency services, including Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance and Advanced Life paramedics, rushed to the scene and transported him to Monash Medical Centre in critical condition. Despite efforts to save him, Ben passed away, leaving the local sporting community devastated.
Ferntree Gully Cricket Club released a statement expressing their sorrow: “We are absolutely devastated by the passing of Ben, and the impacts of his death will be felt by all in our cricket community. We ask you to please respect the privacy of Ben’s family during this time.”
Ben was remembered as a polite and friendly young man with a passion for sport. Clubs across Melbourne, including Templeton Cricket Club, Lyndale Cricket Club, and Toordain Cricket Club, paid tribute to his memory. The community has laid out cricket bats in his honour, and players plan to wear black armbands in upcoming matches.
The tragic incident echoes the death of Australian Test cricketer Phillip Hughes in 2014, who also suffered a fatal injury after being struck in the neck by a ball. Medical experts describe such accidents as “incredibly rare,” caused by a vertebral artery dissection leading to brain haemorrhage.
Arnie Walters, president of the Ferntree Gully and District Cricket Association, called Ben’s death “an enormous loss” and offered support to all local clubs and cricket families.
