2024 was a desperately disappointing season for the proud county of Kent. Having narrowly avoided relegation from the top flight in the four day game last year, there was no escape this time. In bottom place with only one win and eight defeats, they were a massive 56 points from safety. There was no relief in white ball cricket – in the Vitality Blast, they were bottom of the South Group with four wins and ten defeats and the Metro Bank One Day Cup brought three wins and fives losses, resulting in seventh place in Group A.
In the Vitality Championship, after giving Lancashire a thorough thrashing at Old Trafford in May, it was all downhill from there. Lancashire won the return fixture by an innings and Kent also lost to fellow strugglers Notts, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. A meagre total of just 15 batting bonus points tells its own story. Seven batters averaged in the thirties but no-one topped 40. Daniel Bell-Drummond, Joe Denly and Ben Compton have had better seasons and even though Jack Leaning topped the averages, over half his runs were scored in just three innings, with many low scores in between.
None of the regular bowlers took their wickets at under 30 runs apiece in the Championship. Matt Parkinson took the most with 36 but they cost him over 47 runs each.
In the Vitality Blast, there were some narrow defeats and also some rain-affected matches such as the five over thrash against Somerset. So luck did play its part, but the Spitfires never threatened to rise up the table. Sam Billings with an average over 30 and a strike rate over 150 made a good contribution and both Bell-Drummond and Joey Evison had their moments with the bat. Parkinson and Nathan Gilchrist, with 30 wickets between them, were easily the most successful amongst the bowlers.
In the One Day Cup, there were more lows than highs. By the last match, any chance of qualifying for the knock out stages was long gone, but to be bowled out by Northants for 82 and then see them knock off the runs in 14 overs was a dispiriting end to the Kent campaign. Overall, Leaning, Harry Finch and Grant Stewart all scored over 200 runs and there were double figure wickets hauls for Parkinson, Stewart and Beyers Swanepoel.
Results
Vitality County Championship: Bottom (tenth) in Division One
Vitality Blast: Bottom (ninth) in South Group
Metro Bank One Day Cup: Seventh in Group A
Leading run-scorers
Vitality CC: Daniel Bell-Drummond, 853 at 35.54
Vitality Blast: Sam Billings, 411 at 31.61; Strike rate 157.47
Metro Bank ODC: Jack Leaning, 262 at 37.42
Leading wicket-takers
Vitality CC: Matt Parkinson 36 at 47.40
Vitality Blast: Matt Parkiinson 16 at 18.31; Economy rate 8.06
Metro Bank ODC: Matt Parkinson 12 at 26.66
Player of the season
For all the overs he got through, often in trying circumstances when the team was struggling, let us give the Player of the Season award to Matt Parkinson – 64 wickets across the three competitions. He was expensive in the Championship, but overall he has quickly settled in as a key member of the team. As a leg spinner for Kent, he may never quite surpass the legendary “Tich” Freeman who, in 1928, took 304 first-class wickets, but next year, in the Second Division of the Championship, he may well find wickets easier (and cheaper) to come by.
Breakthrough Player
Joey Evison had a good all-round season. In the Championship in particular, with over 750 runs and 19 wickets, achieved often in a losing cause, he was a vital team member. Still only 22, he has plenty of time to develop his career further in all formats.
Could have done better
Although he scored over 800 Championship runs, Ben Compton only averaged 32, which was quite a come down from just a couple of years ago when he was averaging over 50 and comfortably topping 1,000 runs. Furthermore, he was not picked in white ball cricket and there were suggestions that his future at Kent might be in some doubt. He is still only 30, so obviously has much to offer if he can find the right home for his talents.
Need to work on
As with several other counties, Kent’s overseas signings didn’t really go according to plan. Australian seamer Xavier Bartlett was originally lined up to play in the first half of the Championship, but Cricket Australia refused to grant him a No Objection Certificate. He ended up playing just eight matches in the Blast. Wes Agar was able to play five Championship games and has been signed again for next season. Three other overseas men – Charlie Stobo, Tom Rogers and Beyers Swanepoel – played at different times, but it’s been a tough introduction to the top job for Director of Cricket Simon Cook and it’s clearly an area for him to work on.
What’s next?
Head coach Matt Walker is leaving Kent after eight years in post, during which time he was in charge when the Spitfires won the Blast in 2021.
As well as signing Wes Agar for next year, Kent have brought in Chris Benjamin from Warwickshire. They will be hoping for improved fortunes, including an early return to the top flight.
Season Rating
2024 couldn’t have been much worse for Kent, in that they under-performed in all competitions.
Mark: 3/10
