PHOTOS: Phil Hughes laid to rest

Hughes passed away last week at the age of 25, after being struck by a ball and suffering a severe head injury.

The funeral turned into a celebration of his life despite the grief and sorrow still evident from his death.

Australia captain Michael Clarke and the rest of the test squad, joined by former and current players from around the world, along with friends and relatives descended on Hughes' hometown of 2 500 people on the northern coast of New South Wales.

Clarke urged mourners to "dig in and get through to tea" as he choked back tears in an emotional eulogy delivered to Phillip Hughes at the cricketer's funeral in Macksville this morning.

Thirty-three-year-old Clarke, sat by his teammate's bedside during his two-day fight for his life at a Sydney hospital last week. 

A tearful Clarke got emotional while saying his final goodbyes to his friend.

"Phillip’s spirit, which is now part of our game forever, will act as a custodian of the sport we all love. We must listen to it. We must cherish it. We must learn from it. We must dig in and get through to tea and we must play on.

"So rest in peace my little brother; I'll see you out in the middle," he said.