HUNTER cricketer Grant Stewart will be riding a career-high when he marks another milestone next month and makes his international debut.
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Fresh from "the best day of my career" helping county Kent claim the English T20 title, Stewart is set to represent Italy.
The 27-year-old, who previously played in Maitland and Newcastle, travels to Spain for a series of T20 World Cup qualifiers and hopes to move a step closer to the 2022 tournament in Australia.
He says the opportunity to don the uniform of his mother's homeland was special.
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"It obviously means quite a lot, not only to me but my family more than anything," Stewart said.
"Italy aren't probably renowned for cricket and mum's side of the family support me even though they don't really know the ins and outs of cricket.
"When I told them I was playing for Italy you could see how much it means to them and it brings a bit more meaning to me as well.
"From where they came from as immigrants to Australia after World War II, knowing the background there, it's something I can't wait to do and it means a bit more than just the cricket."
On the field in Barcelona from October 10, Stewart is poised to line-up for Italy in six T20 matches, two each against Germany, Denmark and Jersey.
The top two progress to the final stage of qualification for the main competition.
It comes after last year's qualifiers were canned because of coronavirus.
All-rounder Stewart says "we should have a decent bowling attack" with the right-arm paceman alongside fellow county players in Italian captain-coach Gareth Burg (Northamptonshire) and former English seamer Jade Dernbach (Surrey).
Stewart, a former NSW Country representative, is currently enjoying a short break after Kent duties wrapped up for 2021.
The former Norths and University player described last weekend's national T20 title success as "the best day of my career" and thought the packed-out crowd at Edgbaston was "next level".
Merewether's Michael Hogan steered Glamorgan towards the English one-day crown last month.
Stewart, who made his maiden appearance in 2017, is contracted at Kent until the end of next season. He has taken 90 wickets (61 first class, 11 list A, 18 T20) and scored one century during that period.