Few people, let alone cricketers, have endured as much as Dustin Melton. The Zimbabwe-born fast bowler, who grew up in South Africa, has faced significant trauma and personal loss off the field, while his hopes of a first-class career were repeatedly derailed by injuries.
Adopted at the age of three, Melton later learned that his biological mother had been murdered. Within a matter of months, he lost his father to Covid-19 and a school friend to suicide. Now 31, he has not only rebuilt his own life but is determined to use those experiences to mentor the next generation of pace bowlers.
Between 2019 and 2021, Melton took 19 wickets in 11 first-class matches for Derbyshire. He currently plays for Shrewsbury in the Birmingham & District Premier League and runs his own coaching venture, the Pace Within Project.
“The whole idea behind it is that I feel that people have their own pace within themselves,” he told BBC Radio Shropshire’s Cricket Show. “I’m just trying to help any cricketer to try to find their own pace—not necessarily trying to push people beyond a limit that they are capable of. I feel like I read people quite well and I’m in tune with their emotions and understandings. So it’s about not overdoing it, but bringing that level of understanding to what you’re capable of now and where we can get to. It might be quick, it might be long, but stick to the journey.”
Although open to all players, Melton is especially keen to encourage youngsters who want to bowl fast, placing a strong emphasis on “keeping their actions healthy.” A key part of his approach is telling students to run their own race—something shaped by his time coming through South African youth and domestic cricket, where he trained alongside future Proteas stars like Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, and all-rounder Corbin Bosch.
“Corbin took a lot longer to get to where he is now, whereas Kagi was put straight into the deep end quite early—and obviously his progression was a lot quicker, but they’re both there playing at the same level now,” Melton said. “I look at that as a really good example that yes, your opportunity doesn’t come now, but it doesn’t mean it won’t come later. It doesn’t mean you stop learning, you don’t stop trying to get better.”
He added: “At the moment, I feel like the coaches are more there as facilitators and don’t really get the opportunity to work one-to-one with someone on a more intimate level where we can start ironing out technical aspects that really do matter. Especially when you start getting older, and your body’s going through various changes, just trying to make sure that you’re fit and strong and your action’s in a healthy position to prevent injuries from kicking in later on.”
The debilitating effect of injuries is something Melton knows all too well. During a trial at Derbyshire in 2019, he tore his side in a second XI game against Worcestershire. Despite that, his four wickets impressed, and once fit he earned a contract—and a first-class debut against the touring Australians. Surgery to remove excess bone growth in his ankle followed, but when the joint gave way again during a training session in 2021, Melton’s frustration boiled over. After years of battling injury and personal devastation, he is now channeling that experience into helping others avoid the same pitfalls.
