Cricket Club Delays Memorial for Ben Austin
The memorial round to honor 17-year-old Ben Austin, who tragically died after being struck by a cricket ball in a freak accident, has been postponed by a weekend due to wet weather.
Tributes and Commemoration
The Ferntree Gully and District Cricket Association planned a minute of silence before each match to pay respects to Ben, who was fatally hit while warming up in the nets before a T20 game last week.
However, these tributes will now take place next week before the rescheduled one-day games, as announced by the Ferntree Gully Cricket Club on Facebook:
“Unfortunately today’s play has been abandoned – we will be doing our planned memorial tributes for Ben Austin next week, before each of the rescheduled one day games.”
Community Response
- Cricket Victoria postponed matches statewide following news of Ben’s death, which deeply affected the cricket community.
- The Ferntree Gully club honored Ben by naming him as the 12th man for its senior team this weekend.
- New tributes were laid at Wally Trew Oval on Saturday before the postponement was confirmed.
- Members observed a minute’s silence before training at Wally Tew Reserve on Thursday.
- Ben’s initials and player number, BA 512, were painted on the club grounds, marking one week since the accident.
Summary
Ben Austin’s cricket community continues to honor his memory despite delays, showing strong solidarity through tributes and memorials amid challenging circumstances.
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