Ryan ten Doeschate begins coaching career with Kent: "I'm ready to start a new chapter"

The former Essex and Netherlands allrounder, who called time on his playing career at the end of the T20 World Cup, has signed a deal to become the new batting coach at Canterbury

Ryan ten Doeschate has made his first foray into the world of coaching with Kent.

The former Essex and Netherlands allrounder, who called time on his playing career at the end of the T20 World Cup, has signed a deal to become the new batting coach at Canterbury.

Ten Doeschate will formally join Kent on New Year's Day and will provide considerable and recent experience of the county game to the club's batsmen.

The 41-year-old - born in South Africa but with 57 international appearances for the Dutch to his name - made more than 13,000 career runs across formats and won both the County Championship and T20 Blast with Essex.

^{Ryan ten Doeschate is joining Kent as batting coach}

He was a one-county player, but the next chapter of the ten Doeschate story will come on the other side of the Dartford Crossing.

It's little wonder that Kent's director of cricket, Paul Downton, is delighted with the signing.

He said in a press release: "He is a proven leader with two Championship wins under his captaincy at Essex, and he already has a varied coaching CV.

"He will bring with him a winning mentality and all the experience of a successful playing career into an ambitious Kent dressing room keen to learn."

Ten Doeschate may well have been drawn to Kent by a personal relationship with Matt Walker, the head coach.

Ten Doeschate is joining Kent as batting coach

He and Walker played together at Essex.

Ten Doeschate said: "I'm excited to be given the opportunity to work with Matt Walker and the Kent squad, especially with the talented group of players that have just won the Vitality Blast and will compete in Division One of next season's County Championship.

"I'm ready to start a new chapter of my career and use my experience and that of some of the others I've worked with to influence and improve the players and the group."