Cricketer dies, aged 17, after being hit in neck by ball

A 17-year-old cricketer has died after a training accident in suburban Melbourne.

Local cricket officials said Ben Austin was rushed to a hospital in critical condition after being struck on the neck by a ball during practice at Ferntree Gully on Tuesday.

He was batting in the nets — which are typically practice pitches enclosed by netting — when the injury occurred in front of his teammates.

The Ferntree Gully Cricket Club on Thursdsay confirmed that Austin had died.

‘We are absolutely devastated by the passing of Ben, and the impacts of his death will be felt by all in our cricket community,’ the club said in a statement.

‘Our thoughts and prayers are with his family . . . his friends and to all of those who knew Ben and the joy that he brought.’

Ringwood and District Cricket Association president Michael Finn said Austin was warming up in the nets when the injury occurred.

‘Medical assistance was provided by people at the ground at the time until the paramedics arrived,’ he said.

Cricket Australia released a statement from Ben’s father, Jace Austin, issued statement on behalf of the family.

‘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,’ the family’s 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 impacted two young men and our thoughts are with he and his family as well.’

The Australian Broadcasting Corp. quoted Cricket Victoria CEO Nick Cummins saying that Austin had been wearing a helmet and ‘the ball hit him in the neck in a similar accident that Phil Hughes suffered 10 years ago.’

In November 2014, international cricketer Phillip Hughes died in a Sydney hospital two days after being hit near the ear by a ball while batting for South Australia against his former team, New South Wales, in a first-class match. He was 25.

Hours after Hughes’ death, Cricket Australia postponed a first scheduled cricket test against India in Brisbane.

New regulations were subsequently introduced for batting helmets in top-tier cricket.