Darren Stevens and Kent roll into Bob Willis Trophy with plenty to offer

BOB WILLIS TROPHY PREVIEW: After an impressive campaign in the County Championship campaign last year, Kent will be out to prove themselves all over again in this truncated season

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Ins: Jack Leaning (Yorkshire), Hamidullah Qadri (Derbyshire), Tim Groenewald (Somerset)

Outs: Mitch Claydon (Sussex), Sean Dickson (Durham)

Fixtures: August 1 - Essex (a), August 8 - Sussex (h), August 15 - Middlesex (h), August 22 - Surrey (a), September 6 - Hampshire (h)

Remind me what happened last year?

Written off in several quarters ahead of a return to the top tier of the County Championship, Kent made light of any doubters, finishing fourth in Division One and playing a terrific brand of cricket. A team of young and old, featuring many who have taken a roundabout route to first-class success, Matt Walker’s men were primed for another fine year until coronavirus intervened.

Darren Stevens, Matt Milnes and Harry Podmore took 159 wickets between them, with all three passing fifty. Milnes led the way with 55 – he had been plucked from Nottinghamshire on something of a hunch at the end of 2018. So impressive was his first year at Canterbury, he was included in England Lions’ landmark, unbeaten trip to Australia over the winter.

Podmore is another whose journey has not been straightforward; a career that began at Middlesex was followed by loan stints at Glamorgan and Derbyshire, before finally settling at Kent.

And then, of course, there is Stevens – one of county cricket’s great survivors. Now 44 years of age, it was initially announced midway through last year that his time was up. His riposte? A mammoth effort of 237 and seven wickets in the match at Emerald Headingley against Yorkshire to force those above him into a rapid revision of his future. In the same game, Sam Billings became the second man to make two centuries in the same match at the ground.

What’s happened over the winter?

Milnes was joined in Australia by wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson on tour with England Lions. He had come to prominence following a shoulder injury to Billings early on in the campaign, giving him the chance to cement himself as the club’s first-choice gloveman in red-ball cricket.

The Cricketer understands that Robinson was due to take the gloves in the County Championship before Covid-19 delayed matters, with Billings focusing on batting and captaining.

Meanwhile, Billings spent the first part of his winter as Eoin Morgan’s deputy in New Zealand during a T20I series.

A deal to bring back club favourite Matt Henry has had to be shelved as a result of coronavirus, while head coach Matt Walker has been working with England’s batsmen during their series against West Indies. Simon Cook replaced Allan Donald as bowling coach at the beginning of the winter.

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Who’s arrived and who’s left?

In Jack Leaning and Tim Groenewald, Kent have replenished their squad with two experienced heads in anticipation of a second year back in the County Championship’s top division.

Hamidullah Qadri is a fascinating signing; still only 19 years of age, it is three years since he made his first-class debut.

He remains an off-spinner of huge potential. Leaning’s signing offsets the loss of Sean Dickson to Durham, while Groenewald will fill the void left by Mitch Claydon, who has moved further south to Sussex. How much they see of Billings, Zak Crawley and Joe Denly will depend on international commitments.

Who will be the key men in 2020?

One never tires of watching Stevens in action – still one of the most potent seamers on the circuit and hitting the ball, on last year’s evidence, as well as ever. It will be interesting to see how Kent’s array of young players fare on the back of last year’s success: Milnes, Podmore and Robinson all enjoyed real breakthrough campaigns as Division One cricketers.

For Qadri, this year represents a real opportunity; Imran Qayyum has played the majority of his cricket for Kent with the white ball, opening the door for the teenager signing to establish himself as Kent’s first-choice four-day spin option.

Watch out for Jordan Cox as well; Kent have always been blessed with fine wicketkeepers, and now is no different. Cox represented England Under-19 at the winter’s World Cup.

What can we expect from this team this season?

More of the same, you’d like to think. They were enterprising last year and return this year – albeit after an extended layoff – a year wiser for the experiences of last year, which included being bowled out for 40 by eventual champions Essex in August.

Daniel Bell-Drummond managed 892 runs last season, a decent return for a fine player. In a truncated competition, that number will hardly be manageable, but he will want to perform well to keep him in the minds of those selecting England Lions squads. It will be good to see Ivan Thomas back as well; he has not played a first team game since 2018.

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