In the warm late-afternoon light of a suburban Melbourne nets session, 17-year-old Ben Austin was simply doing what he loved—batting in preparation for a match. Instead, the young athlete’s life ended in devastating and sudden tragedy.
The incident occurred at the training nets of Ferntree Gully Cricket Club in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, where Ben was struck in the neck by a ball during a practice session. He was rushed to hospital, placed on life support, but ultimately passed away—his promising journey cut far too short.
A Bright Young Life — Gone Too Soon
Ben wasn’t just a cricketer; he was a fixture of his local sporting community. His clubs described him as talented, popular, respectful and kind—someone who “lived and breathed his cricket and his football as well.”
In the statement by his father, Jace Austin:
“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.”
The loss reverberated not just with his family, but across the Victorian cricketing community—teammates, coaches, opposition clubs, and the amateur football clubs where he also played. Tributes were laid and an outpouring of grief followed.
The Accident — Why It Has Chilled the Cricketing World
The precise sequence: Ben was warming up in the nets, ahead of a local T20 match, at Wally Tew Reserve in the Ferntree Gully area. Around 4:45 pm a ball, thrown from a side-arm launcher, struck him in the neck area. Though he was wearing a helmet, a neck guard was not in place.
He was attended on-scene by advanced-life-support paramedics, transported to the hospital in critical condition, but died soon after.
The chilling resemblance to the death of Phillip Hughes in 2014 (also a neck-injury from a cricket ball) has given this incident an even deeper resonance in the sport.
Mourning and Tributes
- Clubs around Victoria and Australia asked supporters to place cricket bats outside their homes in memory of Ben—echoing the “bats out for Benny” campaign.
- At his club’s nets and on social-media, dozens of cricket bats, flowers, notes and tokens were left in his honor.
- Governing bodies like Cricket Victoria and Cricket Australia expressed deep sorrow, stating that the loss would be felt across the cricketing family.
- The family also extended thoughts to the teammate who was bowling when the accident occurred—recognizing the psychological impact on all involved.
Safety Questions: A Community Re-Examination
Ben’s death has prompted urgent reflection on safety standards at grassroots and amateur cricket levels. Key issues include:
- The use of neck guards: After Phillip Hughes’s death in 2014, neck-guards were mandated at elite levels, but they remain only strongly recommended (not mandatory) in many community competitions.
- The environment of practice nets: The ball launcher, the speed of the delivery, the protective equipment—all are under scrutiny.
- Psychological impact: Clubs are now looking at trauma support for teammates, coaches and officials involved when such incidents occur.
Cricket Australia’s Chair, Mike Baird, commented:
“Clearly there are things we have to learn from this, but right now we are concerned about the family and trying to support them in every way.”
In Memory of Ben
Ben’s clubs gave some picture of the young man he was: “a shining light,” “funny, loud, passionate,” a player who supported others and helped younger teammates.
His family, facing unimaginable grief, asked for privacy; yet also opened their arms to the wider community’s expressions of support.
As one club said: “You’ll always be a Gully boy Benny, our beautiful, respectful boy.”
