Victorian, Tasmania cricketers lead tributes to Ben Austin amid safety focus

Victorian and Tasmanian cricketers led solemn tributes to teenage player Ben Austin on Friday morning before resuming their Sheffield Shield match at the Junction Oval as community associations urge juniors to use modern helmets with neck guards.

The players leaned their bats and caps against the fence as a symbol of respect, wore black arm bands and held a minute’s silence as the cricket community continued to grieve the death of the Ferntree Gully teen, who was struck on the neck by an accidental full toss while training with friends on Tuesday.

Austin died later in hospital.

The accident has turned a spotlight on the safety of cricket and, in particular, on the use of “wangers”, a training device that launches the ball at varying speeds and lengths.

Police will prepare a report on Austin’s death for the coroner, who can investigate the cause of death but also make recommendations about safety issues.

Cricket Victoria have said they will look at how things could be done better in the future, but first they want to focus on supporting Austin’s family and the cricket community.

News of Austin’s death was made public on Thursday, too late for the teams to pay tribute at the Junction Oval that day, so they expressed their solidarity with Austin’s family and friends on Friday morning.

Western Australia wore black armbands during their Shield match on Thursday as they started later in the day.

Australia and India paid a similar tribute in their semi-final of the ICC women’s one-day international World Cup overnight, and their men’s teams are expected to follow suit in front of an expected crowd of about 90,000 people for the Twenty 20 international at the MCG on Friday night.

Junior cricket has also responded to the death with associations encouraging players to wear helmets with neck guards, also known as stem guards.

North Metro Cricket Association general manager Neil Riley said players were encouraged to use helmets with stem guards.

“We encourage all players to wear helmets, and the most modern versions if possible,” Riley said.

“It is standard practice to have all junior players wear helmets. Again, the expectations are to have the most modern versions available, but we fully understand that the cost can be the main factor in choice of equipment.”

Riley said players were still coming to terms with Austin’s death.

“It has been a really tragic week in the cricket world. It is a shocking warning that there are dangers within the game and even with all the efforts to have players fully decked out in safety gear, every now and then such tragic events can happen,” Riley said.

“We have had advice from Cricket Victoria to have a memorial weekend over the 7th, 8th and 9th of November.”

Mornington Peninsula Cricket Association president Steve Morone said the league planned to review their protective equipment and training rules in the wake of Austin’s death.

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“We’re going to have a look at our rules, both the senior and junior pennant will be looking at them along with the board,” Morone said.

He said following the review and more details emerging about the Austin incident, he expected there to be renewed training for the Peninsula’s clubs on helmets and neck guards.

“We’re lucky this week we’re not playing: there’s no juniors on, but they might be out training.”

Morone said he hoped people were having conversations with young cricketers about the use of neck guards and wangers.

“We’ve sent an email to the clubs, hoping they will talk to the parents, talk to their kids and say ‘Hey, let’s think about what we’re doing here’,” he said.

Community associations and clubs are preparing to pay a tribute to Austin.

“The BHRDCA committee of management and its clubs extend their deepest sympathies and send condolences to the family and friends of Ben Austin,” the Box Hill Reporter District Cricket Association said.

The East Box Hill Breakers’ under-12 team was to wear black arms and observe a minute’s silence before its game on Friday night.

The Geelong Cricket Association board is preparing updated recommendations for senior and junior players regarding stem guards on helmets, with parents encouraged to keep their child’s safety front of mind when buying cricket equipment.

Sports stores and cricket stores have noted an influx of players buying the guards this week.

One store contacted by this masthead said it had sold out of one brand of guards but had ordered more.

Older models of helmets can’t accommodate the detachable guards, while many newer models come with them pre-fitted.

Since 2023, it’s been mandatory for all first-class and international players in Australia to wear the guards, but this ruling wasn’t extended to lower and junior levels, where it is still optional.

Austin’s death has had ramifications even in England, where London media have reported the England and Wales Cricket Board plans to review safety procedures for helmets at community level.

The ECB’s review will be shaped by the availability of helmets with stem guards from equipment manufacturers.

Stem guards have been mandatory in the professional game in England since October 2022, but there is no requirement for the guards to be used in club cricket.

A GoFundMe for Austin’s family has raised $115,000 so far, while scores of cricket associations across Victoria are planning to wear or encourage black armbands in tribute to the boy during games this weekend, including Wangaratta, Sunraysia, Warrnambool and Moyne.

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Warragul will have a minute’s silence before matches tomorrow, while Austin’s home association, the Ferntree Gully District Cricket Association, has postponed games for this weekend as members come to terms with the tragic death.

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