Kington Cricket Club have recruited Australian all-rounder Shaun Johnston for their return to the Crusader Worcestershire County League Division 1.

The Herefordshire outfit will be bidding to bounce back to the Birmingham and District Premier League at the first attempt following their relegation from Division 2 West after only one season.

Twenty-four-year-old Johnston holds a British passport but he has to be registered by Kington as an overseas player under ECB regulations.

He is an accurate medium-fast swing bowler and a middle-order batsman who plays for Karingal Cricket Club in the Mornington Peninsula Cricket Association - one of Victoria's strongest regional competitions.

Johnston was not Kington's original choice. In fact, he was the third overseas player which the Herefordshire club had approached. But Johnston should be a handy performer. He has been with the Victoria club for the past six years, winning their bowling award in four of the last five seasons.

He has also won the league's bowling award and has played 72 first team matches for the club, taking 245 wickets at an average of 14.2. Johnston has also scored more than 1,000 runs for the first team and been the club's coach for the past two years.

Kington, who will be captained by Steve Williams, have entered the National Club Championship for the first time.

Kington have been drawn away in the first round of the competition to Old Elizabethans, whom they travel to meet in a pre-season friendly this Saturday.

The league season starts on Saturday, April 26, when Kington travel to Evesham.