Young Australian cricketer Ben Austin dies after being struck by ball in training accident
Published: 31 October 2025, 5:54:09
A 17-year-old Australian cricketer has died after being struck in the neck by a ball during a training session in Melbourne, leaving his family and the cricket community in shock.
Ben Austin was practicing in the nets ahead of a Twenty20 match on Tuesday when he was hit while facing a ball-throwing machine, despite wearing a helmet. He was rushed to hospital in critical condition but died early Thursday morning.
“We are utterly devastated by the passing of our beautiful Ben,” his father, Jace Austin, said in a statement. “This tragedy has taken Ben from us, but we find some comfort that he was doing something he loved — going down to the nets with mates to play cricket.”
He also extended sympathy to Ben’s teammate involved in the session, saying, “This accident has impacted two young men, and our thoughts are with him and his family as well.”
Austin, an emerging bowler and batter for the Ferntree Gully Cricket Club, was described by the club as a “star cricketer, great leader and an awesome young man.”
Cricket Victoria chief Nick Cummins said the accident bore similarities to the 2014 death of Test batsman Phillip Hughes, who was fatally struck in the neck during a domestic match.
“The ball hit him in the neck in a similar accident that Phil Hughes suffered 10 years ago,” Cummins told the ABC.
Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird said his heart was “broken” by the news and that lessons must be learned. “Clearly there are things we have to learn from this,” he said. “But right now, we are focused on supporting the family in every way we can.”
Austin’s death has once again shaken Australian cricket, recalling the tragedy that led to significant reforms in player safety and concussion protocols.
