Australian teen cricketer dies after being struck by ball
Teenage cricketer dies after being hit by ball
- A 17-year-old cricketer, Ben Austin, died after being struck by a ball during a practice session in Melbourne, Australia.
- Austin was hit in the neck while training in the nets at Wally Tew Reserve and collapsed almost immediately after the impact.
- He was reportedly wearing a helmet but not a stem guard, a protective flap for the neck and base of the skull.
- Emergency services transported him to Monash Children’s Hospital in a critical condition, where he later passed away.
- His club, family, and the wider cricket community expressed devastation, with Cricket Australia noting similarities to the fatal injury of batsman Phillip Hughes.