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

SAM DALLING: On the day the Kent legend's new contract was confirmed for 2021 he led his county to victory over Surrey at The Kia Oval

• Anderson claims 600th Test wicket against Pakistan
• Stevens offered Kent contract extension

On the day that Jimmy Anderson entered the record books as the only seamer to claim 600 test victims, who else but Darren Stevens was once again doing what he does best; winning games for Kent.

If the England star is bored of constant questions about his planned retirement date, he only need point the media in the direction of Canterbury. 

This morning it was announced that Stevens has been offered yet another one-year contract extension. Mind you, it was one of the worst-kept secrets in county cricket with Rob Key announcing it live on the air earlier this week

It feels like the 44-year-old has been on those rolling deals for an eternity.  

The county tried to show him the exit door last year only to receive the firmest of rebuttals; a career-best double hundred to go bucket load of wickets. The U-turn was as swift as it was necessary.

Today he ambled up to the crease and ripped through the Surrey top order, dismissing Scott Borthwick, Jamie Smith, and Will Jacks. At 20 for 4 the hosts were deep in the proverbial in their pursuit of 192 to win.

There was a recovery of sorts led by Ben Foakes but ultimately the visitors came out on top by 17 runs.

Stevens finished with 4-41 to go alongside 3-45 in the first innings. His tournament haul of 20 wickets leaves him 5th in the pecking order.

The superlatives are fast running out.

Here’s a man old enough to have comfortably fathered any of the others in his side yet once again he led from the front.

After Stevens, the next oldest is 27-year-old Daniel Bell-Drummond, while there is a remarkable 25-year gap between Stevens and the baby of the team Hamidullah Qadri.

The all-rounder is yet to put pen to paper on that new contract.

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His signature is all but a formality; he loves both cricket and the Canterbury outfit in equal measures.

If and when the ink dries – barring a disaster – he’ll become the first man to play regular championship cricket at the age of 45 since off-spinner Eddie Hemmings back in 1995. Graham Gooch and Jon Emburey both gave it up a year earlier.  

You could almost see him asking for a longer deal. Like a fine wine, he’s maturing with age and he shows no signs of slowing. Doubtless, such a request would be made with a glint in his eye and a cheeky grin.

Life supposedly begins at 40 but that’s not meant to be true in professional sport.

But if flourishing at a time when you’re meant to be calling it a day is a modern trend,  Stevens can be regarded as the setter. 

After all the old adage of “age is just a number” as never rung truer than this wet and windy Tuesday.

In each of the three Bob Willis Trophy clashes to see action today there were veterans opening up with the ball. 

At Trent Bridge, 39-year-old Peter Trego helped himself to five wickets in the match against Leicestershire, while Glamorgan’s Michael Hogan – also one shy of his 40th birthday – claimed his 600th first-class wicket today. Remarkable given his debut didn’t come until shortly before he turned 30.

Both Trego and Hogan intend to continue their Indian summers next yet, although they are mere youngsters when compared with the Kent star.

^{Darren Stevens is one of county cricket's great survivors}

Naturally, any conversation about late bloomers in county cricket has to include Middlesex’s Tim Murtagh. Another young-at-heart 39-year-old, Murtagh would have been involved today had his seven wickets not already lead his side to victory over Sussex.

Each of the quartet are freaks of nature. Long may it continue.

London was soaking first thing this morning and ironically it would have been Surrey most disappointed at the prospect of losing the majority of the day

When play drew to an early close last night they had their opposition 118-9. They finished Kent off quickly once play eventually got underway today and were chasing 192 for their first win of the season.

Surely the Londoners couldn’t mess this one up? Their batting has been, to put it politely, frail to date but with five men who’ve played test cricket for England plus another three or four hopefuls, they must have fancied themselves.

Ben Foakes had rightly won the plaudits with a masterful hundred in the first innings. 118 not too shabby given the next highest scorer made just 30. Don’t forget his last first-class knock came 11 months ago either; no sign of rustiness.

He’s a classy operator and a near-flawless gloveman who can consider himself unlucky not to be a permanent fixture in the England side. But even his half-century in the second innings was ultimately in vain.

His side will be desperate to see the back of this particular tournament, having lost four on the spin in first-class cricket for the first time since 1994.

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