Melbourne’s cricket community is mourning the death of 17-year-old Ben Austin, who died after being struck in the neck by a ball while training at the Wally Tew Reserve in Ferntree Gully earlier this week. Cricket Victoria confirmed the incident occurred when Ben was hit by a ball delivered using a “wanger,” a ball-throwing device, before a match.
Paramedics arrived shortly before 5 p.m. on Tuesday and rushed him to Monash Medical Centre, where he remained in critical condition before passing away. Cricket Victoria’s chief executive, Nick Cummins, said Ben had been wearing a helmet but not a stem guard at the time of the accident.
