Cricket bats adorned with caps and helmets are decorating front porches across east Melbourne to commemorate a teenager who was fatally struck by a ball on Tuesday.

Ben Austin was training at a Ferntree Gully park when a "wanger" — a ball throwing device — propelled a cricket ball into his neck.

The 17-year-old was taken to hospital and died on Thursday.

The scene of the accident, the Wally Tew Reserve cricket nets, transformed into a shrine as mourners paid tribute to the keen cricketer.

Mourners flowed in and out throughout the afternoon, leaving behind cricket shirts, bats and flowers.

Ben was wearing a helmet but not a neck guard when he was hit, sparking concerns around the lack of safety gear among young cricketers, despite mandates.

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