Dozens of devastated young cricketers gathered at a suburban ground in Melbourne’s east on Thursday, laying flowers and cricket bats in honour of 17-year-old Ben Austin, who died after a training accident earlier this week.
Ben was practising in the nets in Ferntree Gully on Tuesday afternoon when he was struck by a ball. His teammates rushed to provide aid before paramedics transported him to hospital in a critical condition.
He passed away on Thursday morning.
A memorial quickly formed at the ground as grieving friends arrived with flowers, baked goods and cricket equipment to honour the teenager.
A friend told AAP he understood Ben had been wearing a helmet at the time of the accident and the bowler was using a “wanger” – a plastic instrument used to sling a ball.
Heartbroken young players sat together discussing the incident, while one woman placed a helmet on her head to show where the ball had struck Ben on the neck.
Friend and teammate Liam Vertigan said Ferntree Gully Cricket Club was devastated by the loss of someone so passionate about the sport.
“He lived and breathed his cricket,” Mr Vertigan told AAP.
“He was just well loved by us all, very, very polite, always with a smile on his face.”
Ben’s father, Jace Austin, said a teammate had been bowling in the nets, describing the incident as a tragic accident that had affected two young men.
Austin said he and his wife Tracey were shattered by the loss of their son.
“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 in a statement.
“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.”
Cricket Australia chief executive Mike Baird said the cricket community would unite to support Ferntree Gully Cricket Club and the Austin family through their grief.
Ben had been active in several football and cricket clubs and earlier this year received an award for his dedication and attitude on the field.
Australian cricket great Merv Hughes said the teenager’s death had resonated beyond Victoria.
“It doesn’t matter what level of cricket you play, there’s always a chance that something like this happens,” he told reporters on Thursday.
“Right across Australia and throughout the world, no doubt people will be thinking of him.”
Helmets and neck guards remain mandatory in Cricket Australia-sanctioned competitions, with their use “strongly recommended” at the community level.
“I don’t want to sound dismissive at all – it’s just tragic – but probably the records show there’s more chance of being hit by lightning than there is of dying through an incident at cricket,” Hughes said.
“So let’s not be too hasty in judging what should and shouldn’t be done.”
The incident comes more than a decade after the death of Test cricketer Phillip Hughes, who was struck in the neck during a Sheffield Shield match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Phillip Hughes’ family were among those extending condolences to Ben’s loved ones, expressing hope that cherished memories bring the family comfort.
Images: Ferntree Gully Cricket Club
