Durham sign Kent wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson for T20 Blast

Robinson has played just 18 T20 matches to date, with a single half century to his name, and Kent are keen for him to gain more regular exposure to the shortest format

Durham have signed Kent wicketkeeper Ollie Robinson for the T20 Blast.

The 23-year-old, who has stood in as captain of his home club in this year's County Championship, was only a bit-part player in Kent's Blast-winning campaign last year, with Sam Billings and Jordan Cox sharing the bulk of the wicketkeeping duties.

Billings has just returned from his Indian Premier League stint with Kolkata Knight Riders, while Cox made a major impression during last year's tournament, averaging 52.42 with the bat and contributing to one of the great boundary-catches in the competition's history in the final against Somerset.

Robinson will remain available for Kent's LV= Insurance County Championship fixtures against Gloucestershire and Surrey, which are interspersed in the middle and at the end of June during the Blast block, and he could also be recalled in the interim.

He has played just 18 T20 matches to date, with a single half century to his name, and Kent are keen for him to gain more regular exposure to the shortest format. The Cricketer understands that he had initially been slated to take part in the County Select XI fixture against New Zealand - for which he would have missed three Blast games - until the deal was agreed with Durham.

^{Robinson featured four times on Kent's run to the Blast title in 2021 (Harry Trump/Getty Images)}

"Ollie is a really talented young player and both he and Kent will benefit from Robbo experiencing increased playing time during the Vitality Blast," said Paul Downton, Kent's director of cricket.

"We wish him well at Durham and look forward to welcoming him back into the squad for our next Championship fixture."

Durham's wicketkeeper through last year's Blast campaign was Ned Eckersley, who has begun the red-ball season behind the stumps for James Franklin's side.

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