A 17-year-old cricketer has died after suffering head injuries during a training session in suburban Melbourne. Ben Austin was taken to hospital in a serious condition after being hit by a ball during practice at Ferntree Gully on Tuesday, local cricket officials said. He was batting against bowlers in the nets – which are usually practice pitches surrounded by netting – when he suffered the injury in front of his teammates.

Ferntree Gully Cricket Club confirmed on Thursday (October 20, 2025) that Austin had died. “We are absolutely devastated by Ben’s passing and the impact of his death will be felt by everyone in our cricket community,” the club said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.

his friends and all who knew Ben and the joy he brought. ” Ringwood and District Cricket Association president Michael Finn said Austin was warming up in the nets when the injury occurred.

“Medical aid was provided by people on the ground until paramedics arrived,” he said. Cricket Australia issued a statement Ben’s father Jess Austin issued a statement on behalf of the family. “This tragedy has taken Ben from us, but we take some solace that he is back doing something he loved so much all summer – going to the nets with friends to play cricket,” the family statement said.

“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 affected two young men and our thoughts are with them and their families too. ” In November 2014, international cricketer Phillip Hughes died in a Sydney hospital two days after being hit by a ball near the ear while batting for South Australia against his former team, New South Wales, in a first-class match at the age of 25.

Hours after Hughes’ death, Cricket Australia postponed the first scheduled cricket Test against India and subsequently introduced new rules for batting helmets in top-level cricket.