Teen's tragic cricket death won't lead to rule changes

Key points

• A Victorian coroner has ruled that the death of 17-year-old cricketer Ben Austin will not lead to rule or equipment changes. Ben was struck in the neck while batting in the nets at Ferntree Gully in October 2025 and died in hospital the following day.
• Coroner Simon McGregor found the death was a misadventure and that no individual or organisation contributed to it. He said the incident was very rare and commended Cricket Australia and Cricket Victoria for assessing player risk.
• Ben's parents said they welcomed the decision, saying their son would have wanted the game to continue.