A 17-year-old cricketer has died after a coaching accident in suburban Melbourne.
Native cricket officers stated Ben Austin was rushed to a hospital in essential situation after being struck on the neck by a ball throughout observe at Ferntree Gully on Tuesday.
He was batting within the nets – that are usually observe pitches enclosed by netting – when the damage occurred in entrance of his team-mates.
The Ferntree Gully Cricket Membership on Thursday 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 membership stated in an announcement.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with his family…his friends and to all of those who knew Ben and the joy that he brought.”
Tributes are left at cricket nets
Ringwood and District Cricket Affiliation president Michael Finn stated Austin was warming up within the nets when the damage occurred.
“Medical assistance was provided by people at the ground at the time until the paramedics arrived,” he stated.
Cricket Australia launched an announcement from Ben’s father, Jace Austin, on behalf of the household.
“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 household’s assertion stated. “He loved cricket and it was one of the joys of his life.
“We’d additionally prefer to assist his team-mate who was bowling within the nets – this accident has impacted two younger males and our ideas are with he and his household as properly.”
The Australian Broadcasting Corp. quoted Cricket Victoria CEO Nick Cummins saying that Austin had been sporting a helmet and “the ball hit him in the neck in a similar accident that Phil Hughes suffered 10 years ago.”
In November 2014, worldwide cricketer Phillip Hughes died in a Sydney hospital two days after being hit close to the ear by a ball whereas batting for South Australia in opposition to his former staff, New South Wales, in a first-class match. He was 25.
New laws had been subsequently launched for batting helmets in top-tier cricket.
