An Australian teenager has died after he was hit by a cricket ball during a practice session in Melbourne.
Ben Austin, 17, was training - with a helmet but no neck guard - in cricket nets in Ferntree Gully on Tuesday when he was hit in the neck by a ball thrown using a handheld ball launcher.
Emergency workers attended the scene around 17:00 local time (06:00 GMT) before Ben was rushed to hospital in critical condition. He was put on life support but died on Thursday.
Ben's dad Jace Austin said the family was utterly devastated by the death of our beautiful Ben while Cricket Victoria said the cricketing community across the country would be mourning the teenager's death.
In a statement, Jace Austin shared details of his family's loss.
For Tracey and I, Ben was an adored son, deeply loved brother to Cooper and Zach and a shining light in the lives of our family and friends, he said.
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.
He loved cricket and it was one of the joys of his life.
Mr. Austin said the family was also supporting Ben's teammate who was bowling in the nets when the accident happened.
Cricket Victoria chief executive officer Nick Cummins remarked it was an extremely challenging time for all involved.
He further stated: It is heartbreaking to see a young life cut so short, while Ben was doing something that he loved so much.
The cricket community in Victoria, as well as nationally, is mourning the loss of Ben, highlighting the need for improved safety measures in the sport.
In memory of Ben, the Ferntree Gully Cricket Club and local teams have begun tributes, urging supporters to display their bats in honor of the young player, echoing a similar sentiment shown for Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes, who faced a comparable fate a decade earlier.
