Ground: The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, Canterbury
Captain: Daniel Bell-Drummond (CC), TBC (ODC), Sam Billings (T20)
2023 results: CC1: CC1: 8/10; ODC: 4/9 Group A; T20: 5/9 South Group
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Change aplenty at Canterbury after another tough Championship campaign in which they dodged relegation by a whisker. The captaincy situation has been messy for a while, with Sam Billings rarely available for four-day cricket. Billings missed last year’s IPL to concentrate on the longer format, then quit as red-ball skipper in June after scoring 92 runs in 10 innings, before signing a white-ball contract before Christmas. Jack Leaning deputised last summer but Daniel Bell-Drummond will lead the Championship side this year. Another fuzzy issue has been the identity of the wicketkeeper: until recently Kent had three top-rated gloveman fighting it out between them, but with Ollie Robinson dazzling at Durham, Jordan Cox gone to Chelmsford and Billings out of contention, the buck has now passed to Harry Finch. Meanwhile the bowling attack has undergone a makeover, with the club pinning their hopes on the double signing of Michael Cohen and George Garrett – and the fitness of Nathan Gilchrist. Returning Aussie paceman Wes Agar will be available until July. The arrival of Matt Parkinson could provide Kent with their first match-winning spinner since James Tredwell.
Last season was a season full of promise which never quite came to fruition, albeit it was a major relief to stay up in Division One. The Spitfires, who have won both white-ball competitions in recent seasons, were one win shy of progressing from the group stages in both the Blast and One Day Cup.
In 2024, the hope will be to stay up again and be more competitive in the Championship, while hopefully reaching the latter stages of the limited-overs tournaments.
Overseas fast bowler Wes Agar is back at the Spitfire Ground again and the Australian will hope to take plenty of red-ball wickets once more. Spinner Matt Parkinson has arrived from Lancashire and will strengthen the bowling stocks. Opener Ben Compton has been very consistent at the top of the order in his two seasons with the county, so will likely be near the top of the batting averages again.
TWO TO LOOK OUT FOR
Whisper it quietly, but this could be the year Tawanda Muyeye goes stratospheric. The Zimbabwe-born batter is a special talent, as demonstrated last summer by his 179 versus Northamptonshire, his maiden first-class ton. He plays fast bowling well
