17-year-old Australian club cricketer dies after being struck on the head by a ball during nets sessions

Ben Austin, a 17-year-old Melbourne club cricket player, died on Tuesday after being struck in the neck during practice.

Ben Austin was hit by a ball during practice at Ferntree Gully on Tuesday and was taken to the hospital in severe condition, according to local cricket officials. He was; prior to a Twenty20 match, he had been dealing with deliveries from teammates in nets. He had on a helmet, but it was missing a stem guard.

At Monash Children's Hospital, he was put on life support but passed away early on Thursday. Austin's passing was reported by the Ferntree Gully Cricket Club on Thursday, October 20, 2025.

“We are absolutely devastated by the passing of Ben, and the impacts of his death will be felt by all in our cricket community. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family . . . his friends and all of those who knew Ben and the joy that he brought,” the Ferntree Gully Cricket Club confirmed.

Cricket Australia shared a statement by Jace Austin, Ben’s father. 

It stated., "We are utterly devastated by the passing of our beautiful Ben, who died earlier on Thursday morning. For Tracey and me, Ben was an adored son, a deeply loved brother to Cooper and Zach, and a shining light in the lives of our family and friends.

This tragedy has taken Ben from us, but we find some comfort in 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. We would also like to support his teammate who was bowling in the nets—this accident has impacted two young men, and our thoughts are with him and his family as well."

The family and those affected by the tragedy are receiving support from Cricket Australia and Cricket Victoria.

"The tragic circumstances of Ben and Ferntree Gully are...going to be felt across the country. Cricket is a sport that brings people together, communities together. It's also one that feels very deeply an incident such as we've seen.

[It's] hard to put words on it. What we want to say is that we are doing everything we can to support the family, the club, and all those impacted by this tragic news. Clearly, there are things that we have to learn from this, but right now, we are concerned about the family and trying to support them in every way,” CA chair Mike Baird told reporters in Melbourne.

In the hours after his passing, the adolescent was honored at the club with flowers, letters, lollipops, a water bottle, and a cricket bat. Numerous slogans were etched on the bat, such as "rest easy Benny" and "forever 14 not out."

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