‘Incredible start’: young St Kilda quickie Luke Destito averaging 7.95 in Premier Cricket

Young fast bowler Luke Destito did not bowl a ball last season. Now he’s making up for time lost to injury, taking wickets at a head-turning rate for St Kilda in Victorian Premier Cricket.

St Kilda bowler Luke Destito in last week’s match against Geelong. Picture: Mark Wilson

Scroll through the bowling statistics in Victorian Premier Cricket this season and one average stands out like a light on a hill.

It’s 7.95 and belongs to St Kilda’s Luke Destito.

The 21-year-old paceman has risen like a rocket in the past few weeks, playing five matches in the Saints’ First XI and grabbing 20 wickets. He already has three five-fors.

Has a bowler made such a resounding entrance to Premier Cricket?

St Kilda bowling coach and former international Shaun Graf doubts it.

When that average of 7.95 is mentioned, Graf shoots back: “That’s Ironmonger and Blackie stuff!’’, referencing the way-back St Kilda spinners who paid sod-all for their wickets in the pre-war period of uncovered wickets.

“I would have thought that would be some sort of record,’’ Graf says. “I just can’t remember anyone coming into District cricket and doing what he’s done.’’

He points out that one of Destito’s five matches was abandoned when he had bowled only three overs.

That was against lowly Greenvale Kangaroos “and you would have thought he might have got a few that day’’, Graf says.

Luke Destito took five wickets on debut for the Saints. Pic: contributed

Destito’s burst of wickets began with his debut against Northcote, when he took 5-49 off 10 overs in a one-dayer at the Bill Lawry Oval on January 11.

In the following round he flattened Fitzroy-Doncaster with figures of 6-30 off 17.3 overs.

Destito had 1-3 in the three overs he bowled at Greenvale.

Then came returns of 3-44 off 17.2 overs against Casey South Melbourne and, last week, 5-33 off 15 against Geelong.

All this from a lad who did not bowl a ball in 2023-24 because of a shoulder injury. He played half-a-dozen games in the Fourth XI purely as a batter.

Destito returned to bowling in a Third XI match this season, taking 2-27 off nine overs against Dandenong in early October.

A run of games in the Second XI preceded his First XI debut in the first round after Christmas.

Luke Destito (second from left) celebrates a wicket against the Cats. Picture: Mark Wilson

For a first wicket, he had Northcote topliner Jack Lalor feeling outside off-stump and snicking to wicketkeeper Adam Crosthwaite.

It was the start of a golden run that player and club hope extends into the finals, starting this weekend against Camberwell Magpies.

Former first-class man Crosthwaite became aware of Destito three or four years ago, when he shared a table at a western suburbs sports function with Vito Destito.

Vito mentioned that his son was a promising cricketer at Yarraville Club and was looking to join a Premier side.

Having lived in Sydney for a while, Crosthwaite got Yarraville Club and Subbies affiliate Yarraville mixed up but he relayed the name to Saints assistant coach Steve Zayler.

The youngster trained at a handful other clubs but St Kilda won him over.

“He thought there was a welcoming feeling to it,’’ Vito Destito says. “He was beaming when he came home.’’

Yarraville Club had played Destito in its strong First XI when he was a teenager and encouraged him to make the move to Premier ranks.

Luke Destito batting for the St Kilda fourths.

He joined the Saints in 2022-23, and across the thirds and seconds captured 35 wickets, including a bag of 7-26 against Footscray in the Third XI.

But the shoulder surgery impeded his progress.

“It has been hard for him at times but he’s been awesome around the club and he’s obviously got himself right and is doing everything right now,’’ Crosthwaite says.

“He’s not out and out quick, but what he does do is move the ball both ways and he can attack both edges of the bat. He has the ability to hit you on the knee or get through your defence, but then he’s also got the one that can nick ‘em off.

“It’s been an incredible start for him. I’m not sure I’ve seen a fast bowler come in and have the impact he’s had.’’

Joy for Luke Destito in the 2022-23 Third XI grand final. Pic: Chris Thomas

Crosthwaite says the Saints hierarchy believed Destito could “do a job’’.

But no one, he says, could have imagined him averaging a shade under eight and having three five-wicket hauls after five matches.

In an interview with Leader Local Cricket after his first two games, Destito said his introduction to Premier Cricket had been “surreal’’.

“The last thing I was expecting was to be playing ones at this time of the year,” he said.

“Obviously it’s an incredibly strong club so coming back from an injury I expected to start in the thirds or fourths.

“I just wanted to prove myself as much as I could after being injury-ridden all year, luckily enough I was able to string a few good games together.”

Luke Destito with state man Jon Merlo.

Fitzroy-Doncaster coach Matty Bremner got a good look at Destito at the Junction Oval. He was also one of his six victims.

“A really good part about him is that he’s tall and he has an action that’s almost over the perpendicular and you feel like the ball is angling in to you and you have to play at it, when really the majority of time it’s probably fourth, potentially fifth stump,’’ Bremner says.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if most of his dismissals this year are nicks to the cordon or the keeper, because batters feel like they have to continually play at him. I know that was the case with us when we faced him.’’

Echoing Graf and Crosthwaite, Bremner says Destito has made an “amazing’’ arrival to Premier Cricket.

“I don’t reckon I’ve seen anyone start the way he has,’’ he adds.

“Batters are still trying to work him out. It’s the first time they’ve faced him so it’s different. He’s certainly a talent.’’

When Destito isn’t taking wickets for the Saints, he’s working in the membership department at the Western Bulldogs.

March is a busy time of year for cricket and football. In both, business is brisk for Luke Destito, taking wickets and selling season tickets.