A shocked father has called for more ‘respect’ after his heartwarming tribute to a boy killed in a tragic cricket accident was spoiled by a group of teenagers.
The cricket world was rocked by the tragic death of 17-year-old player Ben Austin, who died last week after being hit by a ball during a training session.
Ben was practicing in cricket nets in Ferntree Gully in Melbourne when he was hit in the neck by a ball thrown using a handheld ball launcher.
The teenager was put on life support after being taken to hospital in a critical condition but tragically passed away two days later.
A number of different tributes have been held for Ben, with the England and New Zealand teams observing a minute’s silence ahead of their one-day international on Saturday.
A crowd of almost 75,000 remembered Ben ahead of Australia’s T20 international against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Friday.
Both teams also wore blackarms, a tribute that was used in the semi-finals of the Women’s World Cup and Australian domestic matches over the weekend.
Residents across the country have also been keen to pay tribute to Ben, with many placing cricket bats outside their homes as part of a ‘Bats Out For Ben’ trend.
Ben’s club Ferntree Gully, when paying tribute to the youngster on social media, called on friends and supporters to ‘put your bats our for Benny’.
A father in Geelong, Victoria was among those to join the heartwarming tributes but was left stunned as he discovered the bat missing one morning.
CCTV footage of his porch captured three boys approaching his house and one grabbing the bat before running away.
‘When you leave your son’s cricket bat out the front to show respect for a young teenager who tragically passed away – and then it gets stolen,’ the disappointed dad wrote on Facebook.
‘If you know these kids, please have a word with them about respect. Some lessons are more important than possessions.’
According to the Geelong Advertiserthe bat was later found dumped at a nearby nature strip.
Following Ben’s passing, his father Jace said: ‘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.
‘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 also stressed his son’s death was a ‘freak accident’, adding: ‘This is a great game, cricket, it wasn’t the game’s fault. Please make sure you keep playing, that’s what Ben would want.’
According to Cricket Victoria chief executive officer Nick Cummins, the ball hit Ben ‘in the neck in a similar accident that Phil Hughes suffered 10 years ago’.
Hughes, an Australia regular, died in 2014 after being struck on the neck by a ball while batting in a match.
In a statement, Cummins said: ‘The entire cricketing community in Victoria – and nationally – is mourning this loss and it will be something that will stay with us for a long time.
‘It is heartbreaking to see a young life cut so short, while Ben was doing something that he loved so much.’
As well as being a keen cricketer, Ben also played more than 100 games for Waverley Park Hawks Junior Football Club, who described him as ‘kind’ and ‘respectful’.
‘Our club and community have lost a truly great young person who was developing into a fine young adult,’ they added. ‘His loss will be felt keenly by our club for many years to come.’
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