💔 “Cricket is unbearable now…”
Through tears, Ben Austin’s father recalls the moment that still haunts him — watching helplessly as his teenage son’s life was taken in a devastating cricket ball accident. Speaking publicly for the first time, he opens up about a loss that shattered his family forever.
A split second. A silent field. And a game that will never feel the same again. 😞💔
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“I Can’t Watch Cricket Anymore…” – The Heartbreaking Words of a Father Who Lost His Teenage Son in a Freak Cricket Accident
Melbourne, Australia – January 8, 2026 – In a quiet suburban home in Melbourne’s east, Jace Austin sits on the boundary of his youngest son’s cricket match, a place where joy once reigned supreme. But since late October 2025, everything has changed. “To say I watch it the same? No, definitely not,” Jace admitted in his first public interview, his voice breaking with raw grief. For a moment, he thought he couldn’t watch cricket anymore – the sport his eldest son, Ben Austin, loved with every fiber of his being.
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Ben, a talented 17-year-old cricketer described as a “shining light” and “classic Australian child,” died tragically after being struck in the neck by a cricket ball during a routine training session at Wally Tew Reserve in Ferntree Gully. The accident occurred on October 28, 2025, as Ben faced practice deliveries in the nets ahead of a T20 match. He was wearing a helmet but not a stem guard – a neck protector that has become more common since the 2014 death of Australian Test player Phillip Hughes in a chillingly similar incident.
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The ball was thrown using a “side-arm” or “wanger” – a common handheld training device that mimics bowling action without straining the arm. Delivered by a 15-year-old teammate and family friend, it struck Ben flush in a vulnerable spot below the helmet. Paramedics rushed him to Monash Children’s Hospital in critical condition, where he was placed on life support. Despite heroic efforts, Ben succumbed to an intracranial hemorrhage the following day.
Jace recalled the shattering phone call from his brother-in-law: “Mate, Ben’s been hit, you have to get there.” Arriving minutes later, Jace knew instantly it was grave. “I knew when I got to the nets that his life was over,” he said, sobbing as he relived the moment he could do nothing to save his son. Tracey, Ben’s mother, clung to hope: “As a mum does, there’s hope, there’s hope…” But doctors soon delivered the devastating news – Ben was brain-dead.
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In their first extended interview with ABC’s 7.30 program, Jace and Tracey spoke with extraordinary grace, insisting no one was to blame. “Cricket wasn’t at fault here… it was just a pure accident. It really was,” Jace said. They have supported the young teammate who threw the ball, checking in regularly and even giving him Ben’s bat and shirt. “We’ve given him Benny’s bat to use… he’s going to be my cricket son now,” Jace shared, hugging the boy at the hospital and reassuring him: “It wasn’t your fault.”
Hypothetically, in that split-second at the nets, Ben might have turned his head slightly differently, or worn a neck guard – though doctors told the family even that may not have saved him given the direct impact. The “one-in-a-million” freak nature of the accident echoes Phillip Hughes’ tragedy, prompting renewed debate on mandatory neck protection at junior levels, currently required only for elites facing fast bowling.
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A sport left heartbroken by death of Hughes – Rediff.com
Ben was a multifaceted talent: captain in under-18 cricket, popular at Ferntree Gully Cricket Club and others, and a senior player in Australian rules football. He dreamed of becoming a PE teacher, completing work experience at a primary school shortly before his death. “He lit up every room,” friends said. His funeral at Junction Oval – a sacred cricket ground – drew hundreds in cricket shirts and footy jumpers, with his father leading a rendition of the Collingwood theme song.
The cricket world united in grief. “Bats Out for Ben” tributes saw thousands placing bats outside homes, mirroring the outpouring for Hughes. International stars wore black armbands; India and Australia players observed moments of silence. Makeshift memorials at the nets overflowed with flowers, notes, lollies, and drinks – Ben’s favorites like strawberry donuts.
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Jace initially felt he couldn’t watch cricket again, the pain too visceral. But a shift came – perhaps from Ben’s spirit. “Whether it was through Benny or just a feeling, I said, ‘No, I have to… that’s not fair.’ Benny loved it that much.” He urges others: “Please keep playing this great game. That’s what he would want.”
Hypothetically, had the delivery bounced first or veered slightly, Ben might have celebrated his 18th birthday this year, pursuing dreams on the field. Instead, his loss reminds Australia of cricket’s risks, even in casual nets. As Jace and Tracey navigate unimaginable sorrow, feeling Ben’s presence in trophies and photos, their message endures: cherish loved ones, support the affected, and honor life through the sport Ben adored.
In communities across Australia, Ben’s legacy lives – a gentle smile, a lion’s heart, forever young on the pitch.
