Victorian Sub-District Cricket Association: John Hastings and Matthew Brown sign on at Kew
Kew has given its chances this summer a huge shot in the arm with the announcement it’s signed a Test/ODI star and a Premier Cricket great.
Local Sport
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local Sport . Followed categories will be added to My News.
Kew’s playing stocks have received a staggering boost with the announcement that two top-shelf recruits will be padding up at Victoria Park for the coming Sub-District Cricket season.
Former Test, ODI and T20 all-rounder John Hastings will join the club full-time this season, after playing T20s for the club over past few summers, while former Kew junior Matthew Brown returns after drawing the curtains on a glittering Premier Cricket career with Melbourne.
Hastings, a powerful all-rounder boasting handy medium-fast bowling and big hitting in the lower-order, played one Test against South Africa in Perth in 2012 but has made a name for himself in shorter versions of the game.
The 34-year-old played 29 ODIs for Australia and has an extensive T20 career both internationally and in the IPL and BBL.
He also played 75 First Class games for Victoria, Durham and Worcestershire.
After spending time out of cricket to open a couple of businesses on the Mornington Peninsula, Hastings is excited about the prospect of getting back into the game alongside a longtime friend in Kew coach Chris Weeks.
“We’ve been mates for a couple of decades,” he laughed. “I’ve been trying to set up a couple of businesses over the last couple of years, so I’m really looking forward to getting back into cricket full-time.
“It’s an awesome club and I’ve always liked going back there.
“I’m looking forward to it and I’m going to be pumped to get back into the routine of it.”
Hastings’ career came to a premature end in 2018, a mystery lung condition causing him to cough up blood whenever he bowled.
“Since I’ve stopped bowling and playing things have been fine,” he said. “There’s no issues there. I won’t be bowling (for Kew) but I’m really looking forward to getting out and having a bat.
“And it will be great to help some of the young kids down there. There’s a couple of good young quicks that I’ve been doing some work with.”
MORE CRICKET NEWS
LIONS GREAT ON HIS WAY TO EAST DONCASTER
CRICKET BOSS PLEADS WITH CLUBS TO PLAN AHEAD
THE FUTURE OF UNDERAGE PATHWAYS
Kew president Peter Sist announced Hasting’s signing on the club’s Facebook page last night.
“John has been around the club for a few years now, playing in T20s and supporting his mates on a Saturday,” he said. “We could not be more excited to have him on board as a player for this season. John has indicated that he’s really keen to pass on some of his knowledge, and I know our younger players will be eager to learn from someone who has played at the pinnacle.”
Hastings’ signing comes hot on the heels of the news that prodigal son Brown would be returning to the club this summer.
After learning his cricket as a junior at Kew, Brown went to Melbourne in 2005/06 and over the next 15 summers scored 6000 runs, played in two premierships, captained the Demons for three seasons and won the John Scholes Medal as the 2016/17 grand final’s best player.
Brown’s brothers — Angus, Henry and Oscar — have all played for the club.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to have Matthew back at the club after such a magnificent career at Melbourne,” Sist said. “The Brown name has been synonymous with Kew for the best part of the last two decades, and we’re really excited to see Matthew and Oscar write the next chapter of that story over the coming years.”
Brown was delighted to be back where it all started.
“It’s a fantastic club and my family has great history there,” he said. “I can’t wait to embrace a new challenge and get back to the club that set me on my cricket journey. I’ve played with two of my brothers, Angus and Henry, at school and at Melbourne, so to be playing at the same club as my youngest brother, Oscar, will be pretty cool too.”
Kew finished the North South Group season in fourth place before bowing out of the post-season with a semi-final loss to Caulfield.