47 h. ago Cricketer, 17, tragically dies after being hit by ball as Kevin Pietersen leads tributes

Ben Austin, 17, was batting in the nets at Ferntree Gully Cricket Club in Melbourne when he was struck in the neck by a ball and tragically died in hospital

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48 h. ago Teenage cricketer tragically dies after being hit by ball as Kevin Pietersen leads tributes

Ben Austin, a promising 17-year-old cricketer from Melbourne, has died after being struck by a ball during a nets session at Ferntree Gully Cricket Club in the city

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52 h. ago ‘Bats out for Benny’: Teenager killed by cricket ball honoured with #batsoutforben campaign

17-year-old not wearing neck guard when fatally hit in practice netsCricket officials say priority is Ben Austin’s family and boy who threw ballAustralia’s cricket community have begun to put their bats out in a gesture to remember teenage cricketer Ben Austin after he was killed by a ball hitting his neck in a practice session, in an incident in Melbourne on Tuesday described as similar to the death of former Test player Phillip Hughes in 2014.The 17-year-old was wearing a helmet but not a neck guard, and while the incident is likely to trigger calls to make such protection mandatory at the community level – as it already is among elite players – cricket officials said the priority must be around supporting Austin’s family and the boy who threw the ball with a training tool known as a sidearm or “wanger”. Continue reading...

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52 h. ago ‘Bats out for Benny’: teenager killed by cricket ball honoured amid debate over neck guards

Ben Austin not wearing neck guard when struck in netsOfficials say priority is family and boy who threw ballAustralia’s cricket community have begun to put their bats out in a gesture to remember teenage cricketer Ben Austin after he was killed by a ball hitting his neck in a practice session, in an incident in Melbourne on Tuesday described as similar to the death of former Test player Phillip Hughes in 2014.The 17-year-old was wearing a helmet but not a neck guard, and while the incident is likely to trigger calls to make such protection mandatory at the community level – as it already is among elite players – cricket officials said the priority must be around supporting Austin’s family and the boy who threw the ball with a training tool known as a sidearm or “wanger”. Continue reading...

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54 h. ago Teenage cricketer killed by ball remembered as ‘classic Australian child’ amid debate over neck guards

17-year-old not wearing neck guard when fatally hit in practice netsCricket officials say priority is Ben Austin’s family and boy who threw ballTeenage cricketer Ben Austin has been remembered as a “classic Australian child” and “a very bright light that has been dimmed” after he was killed by a ball hitting his neck in a practice session, in an incident in Melbourne on Tuesday described as similar to the death of former Test player Phillip Hughes in 2014.The 17-year-old was wearing a helmet but not a neck guard, and while the incident is likely to trigger calls to make such protection mandatory at the community level – as it already is among elite players – cricket officials said the priority must be around supporting Austin’s family and the boy who threw the ball with a training tool known as a sidearm or “wanger”. Continue reading...

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59 h. ago Teenage cricketer in Australia dies after being hit with cricket ball in Melbourne’s east

Ferntree Gully cricket club confirms death of 17-year-old after incident in cricket nets on TuesdayA Melbourne teenager has died after reportedly being struck in the neck with a ball during cricket practice earlier this week.Emergency services were called to Wally Tew Reserve in Ferntree Gully, in Melbourne’s east, on Tuesday at about 4.45pm, where a 17-year-old boy was practising ahead of a cricket game. Continue reading...

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3 d. ago Juvenile humpback whale dies off NSW coast while entangled in shark net

It is the first whale to have died out of 15 entangled in shark nets on Australia’s east coast so far this yearFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA juvenile humpback whale has been found dead after becoming entangled in a shark net off the New South Wales coast.The 8-metre whale, estimated to be two years old, was found wrapped in netting north of Wollongong on Tuesday, in waters between Coledale and Wombarra. Continue reading...

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3 d. ago Humpback whale calf dies off NSW coast while entangled in shark net

It is the first whale to have died out of 15 entangled in shark nets on Australia’s east coast so far this yearFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA humpback whale calf has been found dead after becoming entangled in a shark net off the New South Wales coast.The 8-metre juvenile whale was found wrapped in netting north of Wollongong on Tuesday, in waters between Coledale and Wombarra. Continue reading...

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4 d. ago At least 174 racehorses died from racing or training injuries in past 12 months in Australia, report finds

That’s the highest number recorded by the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses since they began tracking deaths 10 years agoFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAt least 174 thoroughbred racehorses died at the track or as a result of injuries sustained while racing or training in the past 12 months – the highest number recorded by animal rights activists since they began tracking 10 years ago.The report from the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR) was released on Tuesday, one week ahead of Australia’s most important horse race, the Melbourne Cup. Continue reading...

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9 d. ago British surfer dies after board snaps in rough seas in Melbourne

Police believe the 36-year-old British national was surfing when his board snapped in high winds

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9 d. ago Surfer in distress and rescuer both die in stormy weather in Australia

A surfer in distress and a friend who tried to rescue him both died in stormy weather off the coast of the Australian city of Melbourne

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9 d. ago The Voice star dies aged 56 after health battle as fans pay tribute

Singer and guitarist Virginia Lillye, who was a contestant on The Voice Australia in 2020, has died at the age of 56 after a two-year battle with advanced ovarian cancer

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1 week ago Virginia Lillye dead: The Voice Australia star dies after ovarian cancer diagnosis

Fans have been left heartbroken as The Voice Australia star Virginia Lillye has sadly died at the age of 56 two years after an advanced ovarian cancer diagnosis

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1 week ago Rashid and Salt star as England thrash New Zealand in second men’s T20I

England, 236-4, beat New Zealand, 171, by 65 runsAdil Rashid takes four wickets after Phil Salt’s 85If rain potentially saved England from defeat in the first game of this series, in the second it arrived too late to help New Zealand. A 129-run partnership between Phil Salt and Harry Brook powered the tourists towards a score of 236 for four and, though the Black Caps demonstrated some mighty power-hitting of their own, they simply could not do it often enough, and too regularly lost wickets in trying.Adil Rashid took four wickets and Jordan Cox three catches as New Zealand were dismissed for 171 with two overs remaining, England winning by 65. By the time the forecast downpour arrived, the heavens opening as if fed up with having cricket balls repeatedly hit into them, the game was over. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago New Zealand v England: first men’s T20 cricket international hit by rain – as it happened

Rain washes out the first match of the series at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch3rd over: England 14-1 (Buttler 9, Bethell 2) Buttler gets a single off the first ball but Bethell can’t get off strike. Some free flowing shots go straight to the fielders and the pressure starts to rise. Play and a miss! Henry moves one off a length late and it is wafty-woo from Bethell. There we go – a tuck off the hip for two gets the youngster off the mark, that’ll settle him down a bit. Just three off the over.2nd over: England 11-1 (Buttler 7, Bethell 0) Jacob Bethell gets an early visit to the middle. Don’t mention the A word! He starts with two dots, a play and miss and a thick outside edge. Good over from Duffy and New Zealand have the better of the early exchanges. Continue reading...

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2 w. ago England v Pakistan: Women’s Cricket World Cup game hit by rain – live

Updates from the World Cup match in Colombo Sign up for The Spin newsletter | And mail TanyaA bold leave by Beaumont, who flourishes bat aloft but hears the death rattle as the ball nips in beautifully and clocks the top of off stump.1st over: England 8-0 (Jones 8, Beaumont 0) Captain Fatima Sana with the new ball – her second delivery is turned by Jones off her ankles for four, and her last driven past a couple of stationary fielders for four more. Sana is not impressed. The palm trees peak through the gaps in the stands, not too many watching yet Continue reading...

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3 w. ago Jimmy White’s grandson Ralphie Albert signs professional contract with Surrey

The 17-year-old, an England Under-19s regular, has penned a multi-year deal with Surrey after progressing through the club’s academy ranks

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