Tributes to cricketer who died after warm-up accident
Carrying flowers instead of bats and bags, dozens of heartbroken young cricketers arrived at the suburban ground to pay their respects to their team-mate who never came home.
The tragic scene unfolded when 17-year-old Ben Austin was training in the nets at Ferntree Gully in Melbourne’s east on Tuesday afternoon when he was hit by a ball.
His teammates rushed to help before paramedics took him to hospital in critical condition, where he died Thursday morning.
Dozens of flower bouquets, sweets and a handful of cricket bats left by his grieving friends turned into a memory of the young man within a few hours.
A friend told AAP that Ben was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident and understood the player was using a “wanger”, a plastic device used to throw the ball.
As devastated teenagers sat nearby and discussed the tragedy, a woman wearing a helmet showed where the ball had hit her neck.
Friend and teammate Liam Vertigan said Ferntree Gully Cricket Club was in shock at the death of such an energetic young man.
“He lived and breathed his cricket,” Mr Vertigan told AAP.
“He was loved by all of us, he was very, very kind and always had a smile on his face.”
Ben’s father Jace explained that a teammate was bowling in the nets at the time and described what happened as an accident affecting two young men.
Mr Austin said he and his wife Tracey were devastated and would cherish their son forever.
“Ben was a beloved son, a beloved brother to Cooper and Zach, and a shining light in the lives of our family and friends,” she said in a statement.
“This tragedy has taken Ben away from us, but we take some comfort in the fact that he is doing something he has done for many summers – heading down to the net to play cricket with his mates.”
Cricket Australia chief executive Mike Baird said the cricket world would come together to support the club and the Austin family.
Ben has been involved with many football and cricket clubs and earlier this year received an award recognizing him as a player who shows dedication and the right attitude.
Australian cricket legend Merv Hughes said the young athlete’s death was felt far beyond the community.
“It doesn’t matter at what level you play cricket, there is always a chance of something like this happening,” he told reporters on Thursday.
“There’s no doubt people will be thinking about it, all over Australia and around the world.”
The use of helmets and neck guards is mandatory in all Cricket Australia sanctioned competitions but is only “strongly recommended” at community level.
“I don’t want to sound condescending at all – it’s just tragic – but the record probably shows that you’re more likely to be struck by lightning than die in an incident in cricket,” Hughes said.
“So let’s not be too hasty in deciding what should and shouldn’t be done.”
The accident comes more than a decade after the death of Test cricketer Phillip Hughes, who was struck in the neck by a ball during a Sheffield Shield match at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Phillip Hughes’ family were among those to offer their condolences to Ben’s loved ones and expressed hope that precious memories of the teenager would bring them comfort.
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