Darren Stevens smashes astonishing 190 for Kent against Glamorgan

On a day when the weather again disrupted play across the County Championship, all eyes were on the evergreen allrounder who delivered another magical display

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The Darren Stevens story

Relentless Darren Stevens continues to lead county cricket's old guard

Darren Stevens produced another eye-watering display at the age of 45, smashing a boundary-laden 190 for Kent during an all-out assault on Glamorgan in the LV-Insurance County Championship.

Arriving at the crease with the hosts 80 for 5, which soon became 128 for 8, the veteran was charged with rescuing a desperate situation on the second afternoon.

Rising to the occasion has been a trait of much of Stevens' long career but this batting performance must surely rank among his best.

On a day when across the country weather forced long delays between play, all eyes were drawn to one of county cricket's great survivors and undoubtedly finest entertainers.

Stevens put on 166 in 27.1 overs for the ninth wicket with Miguel Cummins, who added just one to the total; blocking out deliveries and leaving the attack to Kent's commander in chief.

🐐 pic.twitter.com/wfbxGOmkZF

— The Cricketer (@TheCricketerMag) May 21, 2021

Contributing 160 of the pair's stand, Stevens contributed 96.4 per cent of the partnership - the highest share of any stand above 100 in first-class cricket.

Stevens was helped by the 15 sixes he smashes during his knock, one short of the all-time record in the County Championship co-held by Graham Napier and Andrew Symonds.

While Australia international Symonds cleared the rope 16 times for Gloucestershire against Glamorgan, Napier levelled the record for Essex against Surrey in 2011.

Colin Munro's 23 sixes for Auckland against Central Districts in 2015 remains the best effort in a first-class game.

Partnership goals 🤝 pic.twitter.com/lo7ajUWdUf

— The Cricketer (@TheCricketerMag) May 21, 2021

It said plenty about Stevens' performance that his achievement of going to 16,000 first-class runs was largely forgotten and though he was unable to challenge his career-best 237 more records would tumble, eventually being dismissed by Marnus Labuschagne 10 short of a double hundred. Kent were eventually dismissed for 307.

He and Cummins' 166 is the most conceded by Glamorgan for the penultimate wicket in the County Championship, beating Stuart Surridge and Geoffrey Whittaker's 161 for Surrey at The Kia Oval in 1951.

Indeed, the pair almost broke Kent's all-time ninth-wicket partnership record, falling five short of the 171 put on by Mark Ealham and Paul Strang against Nottinghamshire in 1997.