Quick Answer
Matthew Kuhnemann is an Australian left-arm orthodox spinner who plays for Tasmania and Brisbane Heat, and has represented Australia in all three international formats since his Test debut in 2023. He has taken 25 Test wickets at an average of 22.20, including a career-best 5/16, 13 ODI wickets, and 3 T20I wickets. Across his First-Class career he has 114 wickets at 28.93, and in domestic T20 cricket, mostly with Brisbane Heat in the BBL, he has taken 56 wickets from 72 matches.
His path to becoming a genuine Test match bowler is a story worth knowing properly. Kuhnemann was not even part of Australia’s original squad for the 2023 tour of India, he was called up mid series after another spinner returned home. He then produced a match turning 5 wicket haul in his very next Test, and less than two years later took 16 wickets in a two Test series in Sri Lanka while bowling with a thumb that had been surgically repaired only weeks earlier. This article covers his full biography and every major number from his career, including a closer look at his BBL record specifically.
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Matthew Kuhnemann: Full Biography at a Glance
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Matthew Paul Kuhnemann (Matthew Kuhnemann) |
| Born | 20 September 1996, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Age | 29 |
| Batting Style | Left-handed |
| Bowling Style | Slow left-arm orthodox |
| Playing Role | Bowler |
| Test Debut | 17 February 2023, vs India (cap 466) |
| ODI Debut | 16 June 2022, vs Sri Lanka (cap 237) |
| T20I Debut | 22 July 2025, vs West Indies (cap 113) |
| BBL Debut | 2019, for Brisbane Heat |
Teams Matthew Kuhnemann Has Played For
| Team | Format / League | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Cricket Australia XI | List A | 2017/18 |
| Queensland | First-Class / List A | 2018/19 to 2023/24 |
| Brisbane Heat | Big Bash League (BBL) | 2018/19 to present |
| Durham | County cricket (England) | 2023 |
| Tasmania | First-Class / List A | 2024/25 to present |
| Glamorgan | County cricket (England) | 2025 |
| Australia | Test, ODI, T20I | 2022 to present |
Matthew Kuhnemann was born in Brisbane but grew up on the Gold Coast, attending The Southport School and starting his cricket journey with the Gold Coast District Cricket Club at just 10 years old.
Who Is Matthew Kuhnemann and How Did His Career Start?
Matthew Paul Kuhnemann (Matthew Kuhnemann) was born on 20 September 1996 in Brisbane, Queensland. He bowls slow left-arm orthodox spin and bats left-handed lower down the order.
His early promise showed at grade level. He made his first-grade debut for the Gold Coast Dolphins at 17, and starred in Queensland’s Premier Cricket competition in the 2015-16 season, taking 35 wickets, including what was then his best figures of 7/91 against Wynnum/Manly. That form earned him a rookie contract with Queensland for the 2016-17 season, and a spot in Australia’s Under 19 squad for a tour of Sri Lanka in 2014.
Even before his senior debut, Kuhnemann had a small taste of the international stage. According to a 2017 profile from The Gold Coast Bulletin, he was called up as a substitute fielder for Australia at the Gabba during Ashes Tests in both 2016 and 2017, describing him as one of the brightest rising talents on the Coast at the time.
His List A debut came on 8 October 2017, for Cricket Australia XI in the JLT One Day Cup, where he picked up his first senior wicket. He made his Sheffield Shield debut for Queensland in February 2021, and his Big Bash debut followed in 2019 for Brisbane Heat, where he took 2 wickets in his first appearance.
What Was Matthew Kuhnemann’s Breakthrough Season?
Matthew Kuhnemann’s rise through domestic cricket picked up speed quickly once he was established. In October 2021, he took a 10 wicket haul in a Sheffield Shield match against Tasmania, a genuinely rare feat for any bowler and a clear sign he had become one of the more dangerous spinners in the country.
His international opportunity arrived in June 2022, when he was called up to Australia’s ODI squad for a tour of Sri Lanka. He made an immediate impact on debut in Pallekele, taking 2 wickets, and finished the tour with 6 wickets across 4 matches, putting himself firmly in the frame for future subcontinent selection in both white ball and red ball cricket.
How Did Matthew Kuhnemann Get His Surprise Test Debut?
This is genuinely one of the more dramatic call up stories in recent Australian cricket. Kuhnemann was not originally part of Australia’s squad for the 2023 tour of India. According to CREX’s detailed career breakdown, he was drafted into the squad only after fellow spinner Mitchell Swepson returned home for personal reasons, and he was parachuted straight from a Sheffield Shield match at the MCG into his Test debut in the second Border Gavaskar Trophy Test in Delhi on 17 February 2023.
On debut, he bowled steadily on a turning pitch, finishing with 2 wickets for 110 runs across both innings as Australia won by 6 wickets. He kept his place for the third Test in Indore, and delivered a performance that changed the course of the series. Kuhnemann took 5 wickets for 16 runs in India’s first innings, dismissing key batters including Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer, helping bowl India out for just 109 and setting up a 9 wicket win that levelled the series for Australia. He finished that tour with 9 wickets from the series at an average of 31.11, a remarkable outcome for a bowler who had not even expected to be on the plane.
What Happened During Matthew Kuhnemann’s Sri Lanka Heroics?
After his standout series in India, Matthew Kuhnemann had to wait roughly two years for his next real Test opportunity, generally viewed as a specialist option for subcontinent conditions. When that chance came, on a tour of Sri Lanka, it arrived alongside a genuine injury scare.
While playing for Brisbane Heat against Hobart Hurricanes in the BBL, Kuhnemann broke his right thumb, needing surgery to insert a pin after the injury was put back into place at hospital. According to ESPN’s report on his recovery, he was training again within days, bowling, batting, and fielding with his surgically repaired thumb almost pain free, and was given the all clear to join the Australia squad in Sri Lanka.
He then produced one of the best subcontinent performances by any recent Australian spinner, taking 16 wickets across two Tests in Galle, spearheading Australia’s series win while playing through the recovery from that same thumb injury. In the immediate aftermath of that high point, his career hit a different kind of obstacle, he was reported by match officials over a suspect bowling action. He passed the required tests without issue, saying he had never doubted his own action throughout his career, and capped that season by earning his first central contract with Cricket Australia.
Why Did Matthew Kuhnemann Move From Queensland to Tasmania?
Ahead of the 2024-25 season, Kuhnemann signed a three year deal with Tasmania, leaving Queensland after six seasons. According to ESPN’s report on the move, the switch was largely practical. He was often behind fellow spinner Mitchell Swepson in Queensland’s Sheffield Shield side, and few venues in that state suited playing two frontline spinners at once. Moving to Tasmania gave him a clearer path to regular First-Class cricket, which matters directly for ongoing Test selection.
Importantly, the move only affected his First-Class and List A cricket. He has remained contracted to Brisbane Heat in the BBL throughout, giving him continuity in the format where he first built his reputation. He also picked up experience in English county cricket during this period, playing for Durham in 2023 and Glamorgan in 2025.
What Records and Honours Does Matthew Kuhnemann Hold?
- Career-best Test figures of 5/16, against India in the third Test of the 2023 Border Gavaskar Trophy, helping level the series
- 10 wicket haul in a single Sheffield Shield match, against Tasmania in October 2021
- 16 wickets across two Tests in Sri Lanka, achieved while playing through recovery from a surgically repaired thumb
- First central contract, awarded by Cricket Australia following his Sri Lanka series performance
- Part of Brisbane Heat’s BBL|13 title winning campaign, finishing as the team’s most economical bowler that season with 10 wickets
- Called up as a substitute fielder for Australia at Ashes Tests, in both 2016 and 2017, before his own senior debut
What Do Matthew Kuhnemann’s Full Career Numbers Look Like?
The figures below are taken from his most recent official career statistics across every format.
Bowling Record
| Format | Matches | Innings | Overs | Wickets | Average | Economy | Strike Rate | Best Bowling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 5 | 9 | 171.0 | 25 | 22.20 | 3.25 | 41.04 | 5/16 |
| ODI | 8 | 8 | 72.0 | 13 | 25.00 | 4.51 | 33.23 | 3/38 |
| T20I | 8 | 8 | 27.0 | 3 | 73.33 | 8.15 | 54.00 | 1/27 |
| First-Class (FC) | 35 | 63 | 1163.1 | 114 | 28.93 | 2.84 | 61.22 | 6/53 |
| List A | 50 | 48 | 387.1 | 68 | 30.43 | 5.34 | 34.16 | 4/37 |
| Domestic T20 / BBL | 72 | 69 | 230.5 | 56 | 31.73 | 7.70 | 24.73 | 3/17 |
| IPL / PSL / The Hundred | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — |
His Test bowling average of 22.20 stands out in particular, a genuinely strong number for any bowler across 5 matches, and his First-Class strike rate shows he has consistently been a wicket taking option rather than a purely defensive spinner. Worth noting clearly, Kuhnemann has never played in the IPL, PSL, or The Hundred, his T20 experience outside the BBL has come through English county cricket rather than the major global franchise leagues.
Batting Record
| Format | Matches | Innings | Not Outs | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | Highest Score | 50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 5 | 6 | 2 | 18 | 4.50 | 26.87 | 6 | 0 |
| ODI | 8 | 5 | 1 | 54 | 13.50 | 56.84 | 24 | 0 |
| T20I | 8 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 2.33 | 53.85 | 5 | 0 |
| First-Class (FC) | 35 | 44 | 17 | 369 | 13.67 | 37.58 | 56 | 1 |
| List A | 50 | 29 | 14 | 322 | 21.47 | 76.12 | 56* | 1 |
| Domestic T20 / BBL | 72 | 26 | 14 | 86 | 7.17 | 83.50 | 31* | 0 |
| IPL / PSL / The Hundred | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — |
Kuhnemann’s batting numbers make clear he is picked purely for his bowling, though his List A average of 21.47 and single half-century in both First-Class and List A cricket show he can hold an end up when needed.
What Does Matthew Kuhnemann’s BBL Record Look Like Separately?
The Domestic T20/BBL row in the table above combines his Big Bash League appearances with any domestic T20 cricket played for Queensland or Tasmania, plus his brief spells in English county T20 cricket. Here is his BBL only record, laid out in full.
BBL Bowling Record
| Matches | Innings | Wickets | Balls Bowled | Runs Conceded | Average | Economy Rate | Best Bowling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 64 | 61 | 53 | 1557 | 325 | 29.38 | 7.64 | 3/17 |
BBL Batting Record
| Matches | Innings | Runs | Highest Score | Average | Strike Rate | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 64 | 23 | 79 | 31 | 8.78 | 87.78 | 6 | 3 |
His BBL economy rate of 7.64 across 64 matches is a genuinely tidy return for a spinner used through the middle overs of a T20 innings over that many games, and his strike rate confirms he has remained a wicket taking option rather than a purely defensive one. The gap between his 64 BBL matches and his 72 combined Domestic T20/BBL matches accounts for the handful of county T20 games he played for Durham and Glamorgan.
Here is what is confirmed about specific BBL seasons, based on official cricket.com.au reporting:
| Season | Detail |
|---|---|
| BBL Debut (2018-19 season) | Took 2 wickets on debut for Brisbane Heat |
| BBL|13 (Title winning season) | Finished as the Heat’s most economical bowler, with 10 wickets for the campaign |
| Ongoing seasons | Formed a successful spin pairing with Mitchell Swepson for Brisbane Heat across multiple campaigns |
For the most current match by match BBL figures, his live profile on ESPNcricinfo is the best place to check, since it updates after every game through the season.
FAQs
Has Matthew Kuhnemann played Test cricket for Australia?
Yes. He has played 5 Tests, taking 25 wickets at an average of 22.20, with a career-best 5/16 against India in 2023.
What is Matthew Kuhnemann’s most famous bowling performance?
His 5 wickets for 16 runs against India in the third Test of the 2023 Border Gavaskar Trophy, which helped level the series and included the wickets of Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer.
Why did Matthew Kuhnemann move from Queensland to Tasmania?
He signed with Tasmania ahead of the 2024-25 season to get more regular First-Class opportunities, since he was often behind fellow spinner Mitchell Swepson in Queensland’s Sheffield Shield side.
What happened with Matthew Kuhnemann’s bowling action?
He was reported by match officials for a suspect action after his Sri Lanka Test series, but passed the required assessment without any changes needed to his action.
What is Matthew Kuhnemann’s BBL record?
56 wickets from 72 matches in domestic T20 cricket, almost entirely for Brisbane Heat, at an economy rate of 7.70, including a key role in the club’s BBL|13 title as their most economical bowler.
Has Matthew Kuhnemann ever played in the IPL?
No. His official career record shows zero appearances in the IPL, PSL, or The Hundred, with his T20 career built around the BBL and English county T20 cricket.
What injury did Matthew Kuhnemann play through in Sri Lanka?
A surgically repaired broken right thumb, sustained during a BBL match just weeks before the tour, after which he still took 16 wickets across two Tests in Galle.
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