If a former Kent player was taking the fight to Australia’s top bowlers in their own back yard you’d know all about it, right? Well, perhaps not.

You see, Charlie Hemphrey has never played a First Class game in this country and having become disenchanted with English cricket, he decided to emigrate Down Under in 2013. The 25-year-old is now a permanent resident in Brisbane, where the fading dream of playing professional cricket suddenly became a reality in February.

Hemphrey, having played grade cricket for Toombul Bulls and a few games for the Queensland under-23 side, was picked to open the batting in their Sheffield Shield clash against Victoria at the Gabba.

He said: "It was a bit of a surprise to get the call-up. I’d done OK in grade cricket and I’d played for Queensland’s 2nd XI in October or November and scored a hundred so I probably got picked on the back of that.

"It was something I’d given up on. I didn’t think it was ever going to happen.

"I got a phone call on the Tuesday and they said ‘you’re playing on Saturday’ – so it was quite late. I went in for a couple of training sessions, I prepared myself and just told myself I was going there to do my day job.

"We were playing a Victoria side containing Peter Siddle, Chris Rogers and James Pattinson, who have all played for Australia. I enjoyed the experience but I was out second ball – so it wasn’t a great debut."

Queensland won by an innings and despite his duck, Hemphrey kept his place in the side. He scored 58 against Tasmania, 31 and 2 against Victoria in Alice Springs and 44 and 45 against Western Australia – but the best was yet to come.

Hemphrey batted at No.3 against South Australia in March and battled to his maiden First Class hundred, scoring 118 to help Queensland to a five-wicket win.

He said: "There was a little bit of pressure on because I’d played four games and scored 60, two 40s and a 30. I’d done the hard work, I’d proved I could mix it but I hadn’t nailed my spot, I hadn’t cemented myself for next year.

"We fielded first, bowled them out and then had to bat for an hour under the floodlights, which was tough. We lost two wickets but I got through and the next day I just tried to out-bat them, be patient and stick to my game – which I did for nearly six hours.

"There was a lot of relief when I got there. I knew I could do it because in the first four games, I’d played against four bowling attacks which all had Test wicket-takers in them. Victoria had Pattinson and Siddle, Tasmania had Ben Hilfenhaus and Jackson Bird and there was Ashton Agar in the WA side.

"I averaged 30 against those boys and although South Australia are a little bit weaker, it was still tough. I was proud, I knew my friends and family were as well and had a lot of messages from people over here."

So why have we never seen Hemphrey strutting his stuff at the top level in England?

He’s scored almost 4,000 runs for Hythe, Folkestone, St Lawrence and Hartley in the Kent League but never got beyond the 2nd XI at Kent.

He said: "It was never going to happen here. Kent and the other counties don’t look at club cricket, which is a shame.

"Too much is focused on academies, kids aged 15 and 16 but you can’t tell if someone’s going to be a First Class cricketer at that age. When you’re 19 or 20 and playing league cricket, that’s when you can tell.

"In Australia, the under-19 state sides are picked from grade cricket and that allows the selectors to judge performance. The system’s a bit fairer over there and the standard of club cricket is higher so you can confidently pull people out of it knowing they’ll do well."

Born in Doncaster, Hemphrey lived in Nottingham between the ages of two and 10 before moving south with his family. He scored a century for Notts under-11s against Kent and there started his association with what became his home county.

He said: "The timing of that was quite good. I played for Kent through the age groups and the dream, growing up, was to play in the County Championship one day.

"When I was 15 or 16, I focused too much attention and time on it – which made the disappointment a whole lot harder.

"At the Kent Academy, I had a good year as a 16-year-old but I was dropped off the Academy by Paul Farbrace – who hasn’t done too badly for himself since. I thought I’d done enough to stay but that happened and I was a bit disillusioned. They had their reasons.

"I was nearly 17 and thought ‘whatever,’ finished school and went to Australia for the winter.

"I came back in the summer of 2008 and got signed for Kent on a development contract. I had two years there and did OK but I was 19 when I got told I was going to be
released.

"I could have been bitter – in fact, I was bitter – but I knew I could have done better myself. I was a bit lost.

"I played for Essex 2s the following year but I was a bit used there. I was batting at No.8 and they were using me as a bowler."

Then followed the big move to Australia, where Hemphrey had time to reflect.

He said: "In a way, it was good for me, even though I was disappointed at the time. It toughened me up a bit. I’ve had plenty of rejection and although it might only happen for me for a year in Brisbane, it wouldn’t be the first time it’s happened.

"County standard is nowhere near First Class cricket in Australia so I’ve got no doubts I could mix it here.

"I’d happily come back here for five or six months of the year. If there’s a way I can do that, I will."

So could Hemphrey see himself playing for Kent, the club which twice let him go?

He said: "If I make a good start to the year, I might hear from some counties. Whether that’s Kent or not, I don’t hold out much hope but I’m not worried.

"They had their chance, I suppose.

"My aim is to have a good season over there (Australia) because if I can do that it opens several doors. One of those doors is over there, securing my future but I have a British passport so whether it’s Kent, Surrey or whoever, I’ll listen to what they have to
say.

"I can’t go wrong playing First Class cricket for 10 months of the year. As selfish and businesslike as it sounds, cricket is a short career.

"I don’t hold out hope for Kent but if it’s Essex, Lancashire, Hampshire, I’ll certainly listen."

Watch this space. Charlie Hemphrey is a man with a point to prove.