Kellaway in line for BBL debut as meteoric rise continues

Victoria young gun Campbell Kellaway's whirlwind month looks set to include a Big Bash debut as well after Melbourne Stars coach David Hussey suggested the left-hander could replace injured veteran Joe Burns.

Burns hurt his hamstring running between the wickets in last night's KFC BBL|12 season opener with Hussey later confirming the Queenslander would miss four to five weeks.

The 33-year-old, who alongside Marcus Stoinis tested positive for Covid prior to the match, continued batting for three overs before retiring hurt on 18, and although he had his pads on again with the Stars nine down in the final over of their innings, he didn't take any further part in the one-wicket loss to the Sydney Thunder.

"Joe Burns is a pretty big loss for us, we were basing our whole number three spot around him for the whole year," Hussey said during the Fox Cricket broadcast last night.

But waiting in the wings is Kellaway who only made his one-day and first-class debuts last month but left such an impression during his first three games for Victoria that he was included in the Cricket Australia XI that faced off with South Africa of over the weekend in a tour match ahead of the first Test.

Coming in at 3-25 and soon to be four down, the former U19 World Cup opener peeled off 105 not out of the highest calibre against the Proteas first string attack of Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen, Anrich Nortje and Keshav Maharaj.

"Campbell Kellaway, a young Victorian kid who made a good hundred against the South Africans up in Brisbane a few days ago, he's a real talent," said Hussey when asked last night who could step up in Burns' absence.

"I think he can slot in the middle-order for us, if not at the top.

"It's exciting times for Cricket Victoria, we've got some good kids coming through.

"He wants to learn, he works hard at his game, he's done a heap of work with Jason Arnberger, a former opening batter for Victoria and now he does a lot of work with (Victoria assistant coach) Benny Rohrer.

"He's got a nice temperament, he's probably more suited to the red-ball game at the moment but he's so adaptable.

"He's very talented off the back foot, very talented off the front foot, he can adapt in any form of the game.

"He's got a mixture of a bit of Matthew Elliott off the back foot and Shaun Marsh off the front foot so it's a nice mix to have."

The 20-year-old was only announced as part of the Stars squad two weeks out from the season but now appears set to play a crucial for the club already hobbled by the injury to captain Glenn Maxwell that will keep him out for most, if not all, of the BBL|12 season.

There's been a buzz around Victorian cricket about Kellaway even before his composed 81 in the second innings of their Marsh Sheffield Shield clash with NSW before the Big Bash break that put his state on a path to their first win of the season.

Speaking after his century against the Proteas on Saturday, Kellaway told AAP he had channelled Steve Smith and Marnus Labuschagne's thirst for runs and implemented that into his processes over the past year.

"They have a real appetite for runs," Kellaway said. "That is one of the main things I have taken from how they bat.

"They seem really hungry to make big scores, and when they get in, they want to bat for long periods of time and turn hundreds into double hundreds."

The Stars next match is against the Hobart Hurricanes at the MCG on Friday night, where they will permanently retire the number 23 in honour of club and Australian legend Shane Warne.