View source for Kent County Cricket Club

{{short description|English cricket club}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2023}}
{{Infobox cricket team
|           name = Kent County Cricket Club
|          image = [[File:KentCCCLogo.svg|200px]]
|    oneday_name = Kent Spitfires
|          coach = [[Adam Hollioake]]
|  bowling_coach = [[Robbie Joseph]]
|        captain = [[Daniel Bell-Drummond]]
|     od_captain = T20: [[Sam Billings]]
|       overseas = [[Keith Dudgeon (South African cricketer)|Keith Dudgeon]]
|        founded = 6 December 1870{{efn|The history of Kent County Cricket Club is complicated. A County Club was first founded at Canterbury in 1842, although teams had played under the name of Kent since the 18th century. In 1859 a second County Club was founded at Maidstone. The two clubs merged in 1870 to form the present-day Kent County Cricket Club.}}
|         ground = [[St Lawrence Ground]], [[Canterbury]]
|       capacity = 7,000
|        ground2 = [[County Cricket Ground, Beckenham]]
|            ceo = Simon Storey<ref name=ko14nov18>Fordham J (2018) [https://www.kentonline.co.uk/canterbury/sport/kent-cricket-announce-new-ceo-193443/ Simon Storey announced as new Kent Cricket CEO], ''[[Kent Online]]'', 2018-11-14. Retrieved 2018-11-15.</ref>
|       first_fc = All-England
|  first_fc_year = 1842
| first_fc_venue = [[White Hart Field|Bromley]]
|         title1 = [[County Championship|Championship]]
|     title1wins = 7 (''1 shared'')
|         title2 = [[Friends Provident Trophy|One-Day Cup]]
|     title2wins = 3
|         title3 = [[Pro40|National League]]
|     title3wins = 5
|         title4 = [[Benson & Hedges Cup|B&H Cup]]
|     title4wins = 3
|         title5 = [[Twenty20 Cup]]
|     title5wins = 2
|        website = {{URL|http://www.kentcricket.co.uk}}
|        current = [[Kent County Cricket Club in 2025|2025]]
}}
[[Image:KentCCCFirstClassKit.svg|thumb]]

'''Kent County Cricket Club''' is one of the eighteen [[first-class cricket|first-class]] [[county cricket|county clubs]] within the domestic [[cricket]] structure of England and Wales. It represents the [[Historic counties of England|historic county]] of [[Kent]]. A club representing the county was first founded in 1842 but Kent teams have played top-class cricket since the early 18th century, and the club has always held first-class status. The current Kent County Cricket Club was formed on 6 December 1870 following the merger of two representative teams. Kent have competed in the [[County Championship]] since the official start of the competition in 1890 and have played in every top-level domestic cricket competition in England. The club's limited overs team is called the '''Kent Spitfires''' after the [[Supermarine Spitfire]].

The county has won the County Championship seven times, including one shared victory. Four wins came in the period between 1906 and 1913 with the other three coming during the 1970s when Kent also dominated one-day cricket cup competitions. A total of 13 [[one-day cricket]] cup victories include eight between 1967 and 1978, with the last trophy won by the club coming in the [[2022 Royal London One-Day Cup]].

The club plays most of its home matches at the [[St Lawrence Ground]] in [[Canterbury]], which hosts [[Canterbury Cricket Week]], the oldest cricket festival in England. It also plays some home matches at the [[County Cricket Ground, Beckenham]] and the [[Nevill Ground]], [[Royal Tunbridge Wells]] which hosts [[Tunbridge Wells Cricket Week]].

Kent also field a [[Kent Women cricket team|women's team]]. Kent Women won the Women's County Championship a record eight times, most recently in 2019, and the Women's T20 title three times, most recently in 2016. It has traditionally played matches at the Polo Farm in Canterbury, but since 2016 has moved to be based mainly at Beckenham.

==History==
Cricket is generally believed to have originated out of children's [[bat-and-ball games]] in the areas of the [[Weald]] and [[North Downs|North]] and [[South Downs]] of [[Kent]] and [[Sussex]],<ref>Underdown, p. 4.</ref><ref>[https://www.icc-cricket.com/about/cricket/history-of-cricket/early-cricket Early Cricket (Pre 1799)], [[International Cricket Council]]. Retrieved 2018-03-24.</ref> and these counties and [[Surrey]] were the first centres of the game.<ref name=wis65>[[Rowland Bowen|Bowen RF]] (1965) Cricket in the 17th and 18th centuries, ''[[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack]]'', 1965. ([https://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/152818.html Available online] at [[CricInfo]]. Retrieved 2022-04-04.)</ref><ref>McCann, p. xxx.</ref> There are records of the sport being played in Kent during the 17th century,<ref>Birley, pp. 7–9.</ref><ref name=ep7>Ellis & Pennell, p. 7.</ref> although a match in 1705, probably at [[Town Malling]], is the first that is definitely recorded as taking place within the county.<ref name=moore18>Moore, p. 18.</ref><ref>Milton 1992, p. 24.</ref>

===Early county teams to 1842===
{{main|Kent county cricket teams}}
[[File:fuller-pilch.jpg|thumb|110px|right|[[Fuller Pilch]], who moved to the Town Malling club in 1835, was the leading English batsman of the period]]
The first inter-county match took place between a Kent side and [[Surrey county cricket teams|one from Surrey]] on [[Dartford Brent]] in 1709, although three matches between Kent and [[Sussex county cricket teams|Sussex]] in 1728 are more likely to have been the first properly representative county matches.{{efn|A match between a Kent side and a London team in 1719 is another candidate for the first inter-county match.<ref name=kcht1>[https://kentcricketheritagetrust.wordpress.com/2017/04/13/the-history-of-kent-cricket/ The history of Kent Cricket: Part 1 – Prehistory], Kent Cricket Heritage Trust. Retrieved 2017-12-01.</ref>}}<ref name=moore18>Moore, p. 18.</ref><ref name=kcht1/><ref name=rob27aug09>Robertson D (2009) [http://www.kentcricket.co.uk/news/kent-v-surrey-read-more-about-the-300-year-rivalry/ Kent v Surrey – read more about the 300 year rivalry], Kent County Cricket Club, 2009-08-27. Retrieved 2018-03-14.</ref> Teams under the patronage of landowners such as [[Edwin Stead]] of [[Dartford]] and [[Lord John Sackville]], who established the [[Sevenoaks Vine]] ground on his [[Knole|Knole Park]] estate, increasingly became more representative of Kent as a county,{{efn|How representative of the county Kent teams were until 1870, and certainly until 1806, is questionable. Certainly the teams organised by Stead and Sackville generally included players only from their local areas.<ref name=rob27aug09/><ref>Hughes, p. 17.</ref><ref>Milton 1992, p. 6.</ref>}}<ref name=moore1819>Moore, pp. 18–19.</ref><ref>Birley, pp. 19–20, p. 23.</ref> and in 1744 a Kent team organised by Sackville played England at the [[Artillery Ground]], a match which was commemorated in a poem by [[James Love (poet)|James Love]].<ref>Birley, pp. 26–27.</ref><ref>[[F. S. Ashley-Cooper|Ashley-Cooper FS]] (1900) At the Sign of the Wicket: Cricket 1742–1751, ''Cricket: A Weekly Record of the Game'', no. 532, vol XIX, 29 March 1900, p. 35. ([https://archive.acscricket.com/cricket/1900/41/index.html#zoom=z Available online] at [[The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians]]. Retrieved 2022-04-04.)</ref> Under the patronage of Sackville's son, [[John Frederick Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset]], and [[Sir Horatio Mann, 2nd Baronet|Sir Horatio Mann]], Kent continued to field strong teams throughout the last quarter of the 18th century, and were, along with Surrey, the main challengers to the [[Hampshire county cricket teams|Hampshire]] teams organised primarily by the [[Hambledon Club]].<ref name=wis65/><ref>Moore, pp. 21–22.</ref><ref name=collins>Collins S (2006) [http://www.espncricinfo.com/kent/content/story/261949.html A brief history of Kent], [[ESPNcricinfo]], 2006-03-06. Retrieved 2016-02-14.</ref>

The first inter-county match now considered to have [[first-class cricket|first-class status]] was played between Kent and Surrey in 1773,<ref name=kcht1/> and in 1787 a failed attempt to form a Kent County Club, with Dorset and Mann involved, was made at [[Coxheath]].<ref>Moore, p. 22.</ref><ref>Milton 1992, pp. 14–15.</ref> Inter-county matches declined towards the end of the 18th century, possibly as a result of a lack of investment during the [[Napoleonic Wars]],<ref name=wis65/><ref name=icc19c>[https://www.icc-cricket.com/about/cricket/history-of-cricket/19th-century 19th Century Cricket], [[International Cricket Council]]. Retrieved 2018-03-24.</ref> although Kent teams continued to play matches.{{efn|For example, Kent teams played four times against an England side in 1800 and a number of times in the early 19th century against club sides, England and MCC.<ref name=caompcc>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Teams/1/1840/Other_Matches.html Other matches played by Kent (pre-county club)], CricketArchive. {{subscription required}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20160913034458/http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Teams/1/1840/Other_Matches.html Archived 2015-09-13]. Retrieved 2018-03-24.</ref><ref name=cafc>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Teams/0/170/First-Class_Matches.html First-class matches played by Kent], CricketArchive. {{subscription required}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20150928170742/http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Teams/0/170/First-Class_Matches.html Archived 2015-09-28]. Retrieved 2018-03-24.</ref><ref name=caom>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Teams/0/170/Other_Matches.html Other matches played by Kent], CricketArchive. {{subscription required}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20150915025120/http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Teams/0/170/Other_Matches.html Archived 2015-09-15]. Retrieved 2018-03-24.</ref>}} The resumption of matches between county sides in 1825, when Kent met Sussex at Brighton's [[Royal New Ground]], saw matches organised by clubs in different parts of the county.{{efn|For example, the [[Hawkhurst]] club organised matches in 1825 and 1826 against Sussex.<ref>Carlaw, p. 38, p. 325.</ref><ref>Milton 1992, p. 22.</ref>}}<ref>ACS, p. 10.</ref>

A second attempt to form a County Club was made during the 1830s at Town Malling, backed by lawyers [[Thomas Selby (cricketer, born 1791)|Thomas Selby]] and Silas Norton, alongside [[George Harris, 3rd Baron Harris]].<ref name=birley7981>Birley, pp. 79–81.</ref> Selby and Norton recruited [[Fuller Pilch]] from [[Norfolk]], considered the best batsman in England, to play at Town Malling and maintain the [[Old County Ground|cricket ground]].<ref name=birley7981/><ref>Moore, p. 24.</ref> Pilch played in Kent teams alongside players such as [[Alfred Mynn]], [[Nicholas Felix]], [[Ned Wenman]] and [[William Hillyer]] which dominated English cricket, winning 98 matches during the period,<ref name=kcht1/><ref name=birley7981/> and the team is considered to have been the leading county side for six seasons out of the seven between 1837 and 1843.<ref name=ep7/> The expense of running county games meant that Town Malling proved too small to support a county club, and the club was wound up in 1841, Pilch moving to the Beverley club at [[Canterbury]].<ref name=birley7981/><ref>Milton 2020, pp. 194–196.</ref><ref>Carlaw, p. 450.</ref>

===The first county clubs: 1842–1870===
[[File:Kentvengland1842poster.jpg|thumb|Poster for an 1842 match between Kent and an England XI immediately before the foundation of the Kent County Club]]
The Beverley Cricket Club was formed in 1835 at the Canterbury estate of brothers John and [[William de Chair Baker]],<ref name=birley7981/><ref>Milton 1992, p. 27.</ref> initially playing in the St Stephen's district of the city before moving to the [[Beverley Ground]] in 1839.<ref name=ccc>[https://www.canterbury.gov.uk/directory_record/1801/beverley_meadow Event locations - Beverley Meadow] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171202053121/https://www.canterbury.gov.uk/directory_record/1801/beverley_meadow |date=2017-12-02 }}, [[Canterbury City Council]]. Retrieved 2017-11-30.</ref><ref name=jones>Jones KH (1934) [http://www.kentarchaeology.org.uk/Research/Pub/ArchCant/Vol.048%20-%201936/048-14.pdf An early relic of Kent Cricket], in ''Archaeologia Cantiana'', vol. 48, pp. 240–243. Retrieved 2017-12-01.</ref> After the failure of the Town Malling club, the Bakers stepped in to organise Kent teams, with Pilch managing the ground.<ref name=birley7981/> The Beverley club became the Kent Cricket Club on 6 August 1842, when it reconstituted itself during its annual cricket festival. The club was the first formal incarnation of Kent County Cricket Club, and the 1842 cricket festival is considered the first [[Canterbury Cricket Week]].{{efn|A cricket festival had been organised by the Beverley Club since 1839.<ref name=khtccw>[https://kentcricketheritagetrust.wordpress.com/2018/08/27/charles-taylor-and-canterbury-cricket-week/ Charles Taylor and Canterbury Cricket Week], Kent Cricket Heritage Trust, 2018-08-27. Retrieved 2018-12-13.</ref>}}<ref name=kcht1/><ref name=khistory>[http://www.kentcricket.co.uk/the-club/history/ Kent County Cricket Club Timeline], Kent County Cricket Club. Retrieved 2017-11-23.</ref><ref name=kccc4aug09>Robertson D (2009) [http://www.kentcricket.co.uk/news/read-about-the-origins-of-canterbury-week/ Read about the origins of Canterbury Week], Kent County Cricket Club, 2009-08-04. Retrieved 2018-03-24.</ref>

The new Kent club played its initial first-class match against an England side at [[White Hart Field]] in [[Bromley]] on 25–27 August 1842,<ref name=collins/><ref>Milton 1992, pp. 30–31.</ref> and initially the success of the club continued, with Kent considered the leading county side in 1843, 1847 and 1849.<ref name=ep7/> The club moved to the [[St Lawrence Ground]] on the eastern side of Canterbury in 1847, with Pilch once again moving to manage the ground.<ref>Milton 2020, p. 52.</ref> This was later established as the county's formal headquarters, although Kent continued to play matches on a variety of grounds around the county until well into the 20th century, rarely using the St Lawrence Ground for more than two or three matches a year.<ref>Hignell, pp. 65–66.</ref>

As the team built around Pilch retired from cricket, the fortunes of the club declined, the county sometimes forced to field teams of up to 16 or to combine with other clubs in order to compete.<ref name=mq1>Moseling & Quarrington, pp. 1–2.</ref> Financial difficulties followed and on 1 March 1859 a second county club was formed at [[Maidstone]] to support the Canterbury-based club.<ref name=kcht1/><ref name=khistory/> The two clubs, the Canterbury club known as East Kent, the Maidstone club as West Kent, co-operated to an extent, although the relationship was later described as "anything but satisfactory".<ref name=wisden07>[[George Marsham|Marsham G]] (1907) [http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/150186.html A short history of Kent cricket], ''[[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack]]''. Retrieved 2018-03-06.</ref> The standard of cricket played by the county side, generally organised by the West Kent club, remained poor and the county found it difficult to attract either the best amateur players or professionals to play, many amateurs only willing to appear during Canterbury Week.<ref name=wisden07/><ref name=wisden21>[http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/228167.html Kelson, Mr George Mortimer], Obituaries in 1920, ''[[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack]]'', 1921. Retrieved 2018-02-27.</ref> An 1870 meeting chaired by the [[George Harris, 3rd Baron Harris|3rd Lord Harris]] at the Bull Inn at [[Rochester, Kent|Rochester]] saw the two clubs merge to form the present day Kent County Cricket Club.<ref name=wisden07/><ref>Moore, p. 31.</ref>

===A single county club: 1870–1914===
[[File:Kent County cricket team 1888.jpg|thumb|right|The Kent side of 1888]]
Initially the amalgamation of the clubs failed to improve performances on the pitch. The best amateurs still rarely appeared and Kent lacked a core of talented professionals to provide the team with a solid foundation. [[Lord Harris|The 4th Lord Harris]] was elected to the General Committee in 1870 and became captain and secretary in 1875. He set about reforming the club with an "energetic administration",<ref name=wisden07/> although performances improved only slowly at first and when the [[County Championship]] was formerly established in 1890 Kent were initially able to finish only in mid table.<ref name=wisden07/><ref name=mq2>Moseling & Quarrington, p. 2.</ref>
[[File:Albert Chevallier Tayler - Kent Vs Lancashire 1906.jpg|thumb|right|''[[Kent vs Lancashire at Canterbury]]'' by [[Albert Chevallier Tayler]], which was commissioned by Kent to celebrate their 1906 County Championship victory.]]
The establishment of the [[Tonbridge Nursery]] in 1897 as a player development centre for young professionals was one of the key developments that lay the foundations for the successes of the pre-war period. The Nursery, which was run by Captain [[William McCanlis]] and set up and overseen by [[Tom Pawley]] who became the club's general manager in 1898, identified and provided organised coaching and match practise for young professionals for the first time. Players flourished and became the basis of the Kent team, gradually taking the place of the amateurs who had dominated the Kent teams of the 1870s and 80s.<ref name=khistory/><ref name=wisden07/><ref name=mq23>Moseling & Quarrington, pp. 2–3.</ref><ref name=lewis33>Lewis, p. 33.</ref> By 1906 around 60% of all appearances were by professionals, with bowlers such as [[Colin Blythe]] and [[Arthur Fielder]] forming the core of the Kent attack.<ref name=mq11>Moseling & Quarrington, p. 11.</ref> Professional batsmen such as [[Punter Humphreys]] and [[James Seymour (cricketer)|James Seymour]] and all-rounders such as [[Frank Woolley]] became an increasing part of Kent's success, coming together with a group of "gifted" amateurs to produce strong batting lineups.<ref name=mq3>Moseling & Quarrington, p. 3.</ref>

This Kent side was the first since the 1840s to enjoy a period of real success, winning the [[County Championship]] four times in the years between 1906 and 1914. The first title, [[Kent County Cricket Club in 1906|in 1906]], came under the captaincy of [[C. H. B. Marsham|Cloudesley Marsham]] and was won on the last day of the season. Sides captained by [[Ted Dillon]] won three further Championships in [[Kent County Cricket Club in 1909|1909]], [[Kent County Cricket Club in 1910|1910]] and 1913 and the Kent XI was strong throughout the pre-war period.<ref name=times19may81>Green D (1981) When a Blythe spirit brought four titles, ''[[The Times]]'', 1981-05-19, p. 18.</ref><ref>Moseling & Quarrington, pp. 4–13.</ref> Blythe was the team's leading bowler throughout the period, taking over 100 wickets each season between 1902 and 1914, including 17 in one day against [[Northamptonshire County Cricket Club|Northants]] in 1907.<ref name=times19may81/><ref name=blytheobit>[http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/155602.html Colin Blythe], Obituary, ''[[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack]]'', 1918. Retrieved 2018-04-06.</ref>

===Consistency but no Championships: 1919–1939===
[[File:Kent Cricket Team c1922.jpg|thumb|The Kent side in about 1922]]
Blythe died at [[Battle of Passchendaele|Paschendaele]] in 1917, although it is unlikely he would have played county cricket once the war was over. The Kent side, once the makeshift 1919 season had been played, continued to be consistently strong throughout the inter-war period, finishing in the top five of the County Championship table in all but one season between 1919 and 1934.<ref name=wis74>Moore D (1974) [http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/152483.html Kent's triumphant revival], ''[[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack]]'', 1974. Retrieved 2018-10-24.</ref> Players such as Woolley, [[Wally Hardinge]] and [[Les Ames]] all played at the peak of their careers, whilst Blythe's bowling was replaced by [[Tich Freeman]]'s. Freeman took 102 wickets for Kent in 1920 and then took at least 100 each season until 1936, taking 262 in 1933. He leads all Kent bowlers in wickets taken.<ref name=ann21>Burrowes ''et. al.'', pp. 89–115.</ref>
Kent scored 803 for 4 declared against [[Essex County Cricket Club|Essex]] at [[Old County Ground, Brentwood|Brentwood]] in 1934, with [[Bill Ashdown]] scoring 332, Ames 202 [[not out]] and Woolley 172. The total took just seven hours, with 623 runs scored on the first day alone and remains, as of 2022, Kent's highest score in first-class cricket, Ashdown's 332 runs remaining the highest individual score made for Kent.<ref name=kccc28may14>Robertson D (2014) [http://www.kentcricket.co.uk/news/essex-v-kent-at-brentwood-in-1934/ Essex v Kent at Brentwood in 1934], Kent County Cricket Club, 2014-05-28. Retrieved 2018-04-06.</ref><ref name=kcht300>[https://kentcricketheritagetrust.wordpress.com/2017/07/12/the-300-club-dickson-and-ashdown-and-woolley-and-cowdrey/ The 300 Club: Dickson and Ashdown (and Woolley and Cowdrey)], Kent Cricket Heritage Trust, 2017-07-12. Retrieved 2018-04-06.</ref> [[Arthur Fagg]] scored a unique two double centuries in the same match for Kent against Essex at [[Castle Park Cricket Ground|Colchester]] in 1938,<ref name=cphist>[http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/60150.html A brief history of Castle Park], [[ESPNcricinfo]]. Retrieved 2018-04-06.</ref> while Woolley scored over 1,000 runs for Kent in each season between 1920 and his retirement in 1938. In 1928 he made 2,894 runs for the county at a [[batting average (cricket)|batting average]] of 59.06. He retired in 1938 after making 764 appearances for the county side, with 47,868 runs, 122 centuries and 773 catches for Kent―all county records.<ref name=ann21/><ref>[https://www.kentcricket.co.uk/profile/frank-edward-woolley/ Frank Edward Woolley], Kent County Cricket Club. Retrieved 28 December 2021.</ref>

===Post-war rebuilding and the Second Golden Age: 1946–1978===
[[Gerry Chalk]] had captained the side in 1939 when they had, once again, finished in the top five of the Championship, but he was killed during [[World War II]] and the post-war period saw Kent struggle to compete consistently. After two promising seasons under [[Bryan Valentine]] in 1946 and 1947, the county only finished in the top nine teams twice between 1948 and 1963.<ref name=wis74/>

The rebuilding of the side continued under [[David Clark (cricketer)|David Clark]]'s captaincy―Clark would later become chairman of the club. [[Colin Cowdrey]], the first man to play 100 [[Test cricket|Test matches]], made his Kent debut in 1950 and was appointed captain in 1957, following [[Doug Wright (cricketer)|Doug Wright]] who was the first professional to captain the side.<ref name=wis74/> Wright took over 2,000 wickets with his brisk [[leg break]]s and googlies between 1932 and 1957 and became the only player to take seven [[Hat-trick (cricket)|hat-trick]]s – six of them taken for Kent.<ref name=wis99>[http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/155317.html Doug Wright], Obituary, ''[[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack]]'', 1999. Retrieved 2018-10-24.</ref>

An improvement in performances began in the mid-1960s under the captaincy of Cowdrey and the management of former wicket-keeper [[Les Ames]]. A seventh-placed finish in 1964 was followed by fifth-place in 1965 and fourth-place in 1966 before the county finished as runners-up in 1967, winning the [[Gillette Cup (England)|Gillette Cup]] in the same season. Another second-place finish in 1968 followed before the county won their first Championship since 1913 in 1970.<ref name=wis74/> Ten trophies were won during the 1970s, including a second Championship title 1978 and a shared title in 1977. The [[Sunday League (cricket)|Sunday League]] was won in 1972, 1973 and 1976, the [[Benson & Hedges Cup]] in 1973, 1976 and 1978 and the Gillette Cup again in 1974 – six of the trophies between 1972 and 1976 under the captaincy of [[Mike Denness]] who had succeeded Cowdrey in 1972.<ref name=ci20apr13>Pennell M (2013) [http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/631231.html Gracious captain; Kent legend], [[ESPNcricinfo]], 2013-04-20. Retrieved 2016-02-28.</ref>

===Recent history===
After no trophies during the 1980s, Kent won the [[1995 Axa Equity & Law League]] and the [[2001 Norwich Union League]]. In August 2007, the side won the [[Twenty20 Cup]] for the first time, defeating [[Sussex County Cricket Club|Sussex]] in the semi-finals, with captain [[Rob Key]] scoring 68 not out.<ref name=tory5aug07>Berry S (2007) [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/2318293/Kent-take-the-spoils-after-McLarens-hat-trick.html Kent take the spoils after McLaren's hat-trick], ''[[Daily Telegraph]]'', 2007-08-05. Retrieved 2016-11-17.</ref><ref name=bbc26aug07a>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/counties/6929503.stm Twenty20 Cup finals day – Twenty20 Cup semi-final, Edgbaston], BBC Sport, 2007-08-26. Retrieved 2016-11-17.</ref> In the final they defeated [[Gloucestershire County Cricket Club|Gloucestershire]] in a see-saw game where in the final over, chasing 148, they required 13 runs, winning with three balls to spare. [[Matthew Walker (English cricketer)|Matthew Walker]] top scored for Kent in the final with 45 runs while [[Darren Stevens (cricketer)|Darren Stevens]] scored 30 not out from 21 balls, including hitting the winning runs. Earlier in the final, [[Ryan McLaren]] took a [[Hat-trick (cricket)|hat-trick]].<ref name=tory5aug07/><ref name=bbc26aug07b>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/counties/6931560.stm Twenty20 Cup finals day], BBC Sport, 2007-08-26. Retrieved 2016-11-17.</ref>

In 2008, the county were relegated to the Second Division of the County Championship for the first time. They won the Division in [[Kent County Cricket Club in 2009|the 2009 season]], but were relegated again at the end of the [[Kent County Cricket Club in 2010|2010 season]] and played in the division until 2018, with a best finish of second in [[Kent County Cricket Club in 2016|2016]], failing to be promoted only due to a restructuring of the divisional system.<ref name=khistory/>

In November 2016, Kent accepted an invitation from the [[West Indies Cricket Board]] to compete in the [[2016–17 Regional Super50]] domestic [[List A cricket|List A]] tournament in January and February 2017.<ref name=kccc16nov16>[http://www.kentcricket.co.uk/news/kent-to-play-in-west-indies-super50-as-part-of-fgs-plant-tour Kent to play in West Indies Super50 as part of FGS Plant Tour], Kent County Cricket Club, 2016-11-16. Retrieved 2016-11-16.</ref><ref name=ci16nov16>[http://www.espncricinfo.com/county-cricket-2016/content/story/1066562.html Kent to play in West Indies domestic tournament], [[ESPNcricinfo]], 2016-11-16. Retrieved 2016-11-17.</ref><ref name=ecb24nov16>Wilson A (2016) [https://www.ecb.co.uk/news/144361 One-Day Cup takes centre stage], [[England and Wales Cricket Board]], 2016-11-24. Retrieved 2016-11-27.</ref> This was the first time that any English county side had competed in an overseas domestic competition.<ref name=cricKent>'Matt Walker's Kent embark on a winter Caribbean odyssey', ''[[The Cricketer]]'', February 2017. ([http://www.thecricketer.com/default.aspx?pageid=1223&catid=71&topicid=42837 Available online] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202030317/http://www.thecricketer.com/default.aspx?pageid=1223&catid=71&topicid=42837 |date=2017-02-02 }})</ref> The invitation was partly due to the influence of former [[West Indies cricket team|West Indian]] captain [[Jimmy Adams]] who had, until September 2016, been Kent's Head Coach<ref name=cricKent/> and was followed by an invitation to take part in the [[2017–18 Regional Super50|competition again in 2018]].<ref name=ci17sep17>[http://www.espn.co.uk/cricket/story/_/id/20731514/kent-hampshire-invited-wi-regional-super50 Kent, Hampshire invited for WI Regional Super50], [[ESPNcricinfo]], 2017-09-17. Retrieved 2018-01-30.</ref>

Kent were promoted to Division 1 at the end of the 2018 season, having finished second in Division 2 and retained their place in the top division in 2019. In 2021 the team won their first trophy for 14 years, beating [[Somerset County Cricket Club|Somerset]] in the [[2021 T20 Blast|T20 Blast final]]. The following season they were victorious in the domestic List A competition, beating [[Lancashire County Cricket Club|Lancashire]] to win the [[2022 One-Day Cup]].<ref name=khistory/>

==Grounds==
{{further|List of Kent County Cricket Club grounds}}
[[File:Canterbury_Cricket.JPG|thumb|right|Kent v South Africans in 2003, showing the old lime tree]]
Kent's main ground is the [[St Lawrence Ground]] in [[Canterbury]]. This ground has been used by the club since 1847 and Kent have played over 500 first-class matches at the ground. It is famous for having a tree, the [[St Lawrence Lime]], on the playing field. The original tree, around which the ground was built, was broken in two by high winds in January 2005 and replaced by a smaller replacement [[Tilia|lime tree]] later in the same year.<ref name=ciground>[http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/ground/56869.html St Lawrence Ground], [[ESPNcricinfo]]. Retrieved 2016-01-09.</ref><ref name=bbc10jan05>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/4160973.stm End of innings for cricket tree], BBC News website, 2005-01-10. Retrieved 2016-02-09.</ref><ref name=bbc8mar05>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/kent/4328651.stm Cricket club reveal new lime tree], BBC News website, 2005-03-08. Retrieved 2016-02-09.</ref> The ground hosts the annual [[Canterbury Cricket Week]], the oldest cricket festival in the world.<ref name=kccc26nov14>[http://www.kentcricket.co.uk/node/6558 Kent Cricket 2015 fixtures revealed] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306032021/http://www.kentcricket.co.uk/node/6558 |date=2016-03-06}}, Kent County Cricket Club, 2014-11-26. Retrieved 2016-02-09.</ref><ref name=ct28nov14>[http://www.canterburytimes.co.uk/Kent-Cricket-start-season-away-trips/story-24826583-detail/story.html Kent Cricket will start 2015 season with two away trips] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151011102353/http://www.canterburytimes.co.uk/Kent-Cricket-start-season-away-trips/story-24826583-detail/story.html |date=2015-10-11 }}, ''Canterbury Times'', 2014-11-28. Retrieved 2016-02.09.</ref> This dates from 1842 and has been held at the ground since the club moved there.<ref name=ecb28jul08>[http://www.ecb.co.uk/news/domestic/canterbury-ready-for-festival-week,301511,EN.html Canterbury hosts festival week] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160302044821/http://www.ecb.co.uk/news/domestic/canterbury-ready-for-festival-week,301511,EN.html |date=2016-03-02}}, [[England and Wales Cricket Board|ECB]], 2008-07-08. Retrieved 2016-02-09.</ref><ref name=bbc30nov11>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/15961214 London 2012: Kent chief executive not concerned at Olympic clash], BBC Sport website. 2011-11-30. Retrieved 2016-02-09.</ref>

Kent played their first official match at [[White Hart Field]] in [[Bromley]] in August 1842 and since then have used 29 different grounds within the [[historic counties of England|historic county]].{{efn|Some of these grounds, although still in the historic county of Kent are now also within the [[Greater London]] area.}} One outground remains in regular use, the redeveloped [[County Cricket Ground, Beckenham]]. The [[Nevill Ground]] in [[Royal Tunbridge Wells]] was last used by the club in 2019 and hosted [[Tunbridge Wells Cricket Week]] which saw over 200 Kent home matches played on it.<ref name=citw>[http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/ground/57367.html Nevill Ground], [[ESPNcricinfo]]. Retrieved 2016-02-09.</ref><ref name=bbc10jun10>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/counties/kent/8734084.stm Kent coach Paul Farbrace hails Tunbridge Wells support], BBC Sport website, 2010-06-10. Retrieved 2016-02-09.</ref> Former venues include [[Mote Park (cricket ground)|Mote Park]] in [[Maidstone]], which was used until 2005 and has been the venue for over 200 Kent first-class matches,<ref name=bbc30sep05>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/counties/kent/4297278.stm Kent end 140-year Maidstone deal], BBC Sport website, 2005-09-30. Retrieved 2016-02-09.</ref> as well as grounds in [[Bat and Ball Ground|Gravesend]], [[Angel Ground|Tonbridge]], [[Crabble Athletic Ground|Dover]] and [[Cheriton Road|Folkestone]], all of which have had more than 100 home matches played on them.

The county's main offices are based at the St Lawrence Ground. Indoor cricket schools are in place at both this ground and at Beckenham which acts as a centre of excellence for player development in the west of the county.<ref name=ko14jan12>[http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent/news/kent-buoyed-by-beckenham-ground--a68096/ Kent buoyed by Beckenham ground redevelopment approval], ''Kent Online'', 2012-01-14. Retrieved 2016-02-03.</ref>

==Players==
{{see also|List of Kent County Cricket Club players}}
[[File:1193406 Frank Woolley.jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Frank Woolley]] who made his Kent debut in 1906 and holds the record for the number of runs scored and appearances made for the county]]
Kent's most notable former players include [[Colin Cowdrey]], the first man to play 100 [[Test cricket|Test matches]], [[Frank Woolley]], [[Derek Underwood]] and wicket-keepers [[Les Ames]] and [[Alan Knott]]. All five men played Test cricket for [[England cricket team|England]], making at least 40 Test match appearances. They are the only players to have stands named after them at the [[St Lawrence Ground]], Kent's home ground in [[Canterbury]].<ref name=indy25jun15>Brenkley S (2015) [https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/cricket/australia-vs-kent-day-one-match-report-shaun-marsh-opens-with-century-as-aussies-underline-their-10346323.html Australia vs Kent day one match report: Shaun Marsh opens with century as Aussies underline their Ashes threat]. ''[[The Independent]]'', 2015-06-25. Retrieved 2016-03-01.</ref> A total of 30 Kent players have been named as one of the [[Wisden Cricketers of the Year]], most recently [[Zak Crawley]] and [[Darren Stevens]] in 2021 and [[Tammy Beaumont]] in 2019.<ref name=kent14apr21>[https://www.kentcricket.co.uk/news/crawley-stevens-named-wisden-cricketers-of-the-year/ Crawley & Stevens named Wisden Cricketers of the Year], Kent County Cricket Club, 2021-04-14. Retrieved 2021-04-15.</ref><ref name=tory10apr19>Collins A (2019) [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/cricket/2019/04/10/wisden-2019-cricketer-year-tammy-beaumont-englands-record/ Wisden 2019 Cricketer of the Year: Tammy Beaumont - England's record-breaking runscorer], ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', 2019-04-10. Retrieved 2019-04-10.</ref><ref name=bbc14apr21>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/56750141 Ben Stokes: Wisden name England all-rounder leading cricketer in world again], [[BBC Sport]], 2021-04-14. Retrieved 2021-04-15.</ref>

Other particularly notable former players include spin bowlers [[Colin Blythe]] and [[Tich Freeman]]. Blythe was a major force in the four [[County Championship]] wins in the years leading up to [[World War I]] and took 100 wickets in every season from 1902 to 1914.<ref name=ciblythe>[http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/9134.html Colin Blythe - Profile], [[ESPNcricinfo]]. Retrieved 2016-02-29.</ref> He played 17 Tests for England but was killed in action during World War I. A memorial at the St Lawrence Ground is dedicated to him. Freeman played during the period after World War I and took over 150 wickets in a season for Kent 14 times. He is the only bowler to take more than 300 wickets in an English season, a feat he achieved in 1928, and the only man to have taken all ten wickets in an innings three times.<ref name=cifreeman>[http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/12918.html Tich Freeman - Profile], [[ESPNcricinfo]]. Retrieved 2016-02-29.</ref> Fast bowler [[Graham Dilley]] represented England in 41 Test matches in the 1980s, whilst all-rounder [[Mark Ealham]] played in 64 [[one-day international]]s in the 1990s and early 2000s.

Other than Ames and Knott, Kent has produced a number of other top class [[wicket-keeper]]s.<ref name=ct17apr14>{{cite news |title=Billings aims to keep gloves in all formats |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=AWGLNB&req_dat=1054640702C8DBC0&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F14D430A878B77478 |access-date=13 March 2024 |work=Canterbury Times |via=Newsbank |date=17 April 2014}}</ref> [[Fred Huish]], who never played for England, is considered as the "first of a line of exceptional Kent wicket-keepers"<ref name=huishobit>[http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/155491.html Obituary: Fred Huish], ''[[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack]]'' 1958. Retrieved 2016-02-17.</ref> which have included [[Godfrey Evans]], who played 91 Tests for England,<ref name=gran4may99>Foot D (1999) [https://www.theguardian.com/news/1999/may/04/guardianobituaries2 Godfrey Evans - Obituary], ''[[The Guardian]]'', 1999-05-04. Retrieved 2016-03-01.</ref> [[Geraint Jones]], with 34 Test and 49 ODI appearances, as well as [[Edward Tylecote]], [[George Wood (cricketer, born 1893)|George Wood]] and [[Hopper Levett]] all of whom were capped by the country.<ref name=wisden1972>Ryder R (1972) [http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/152460.html The great wicket-keepers - from Tom Sueter to Alan Knott], ''[[Wisden Cricketers' Almanack]]''. Retrieved 2016-03-01.</ref> [[Paul Downton]] started his career at Kent as part of this line of players and the teams' current player, [[Sam Billings]], has made Test and one-day appearances for England as a wicket-keeper.

Overseas players who have made a significant contribution to Kent cricket include [[West Indies cricket team|West Indians]] [[John Shepherd (cricketer)|John Shepherd]], [[Eldine Baptiste]], [[Bernard Julien]] and [[Carl Hooper]] and Pakistan captain [[Asif Iqbal (cricketer, born 1943)|Asif Iqbal]] all of whom played multiple seasons for the county. [[South Africa national cricket team|South Africans]] [[Martin van Jaarsveld]], [[Justin Kemp]] and [[Andrew Hall]] have done the same,<ref name=kccc28feb16>[http://www.kentcricket.co.uk/news/rabada-to-follow-in-footsteps-of-great-south-africans-at-kent Rabada to follow in footsteps of great South Africans at Kent], Kent County Cricket Club, 2016-02-28. Retrieved 2016-03-01.</ref> as has [[Australia national cricket team|Australian]] [[Andrew Symonds]]. Other great world cricketers to have played for the county for single seasons include [[Sri Lanka national cricket team|Sri Lankans]] [[Aravinda de Silva]] and [[Muttiah Muralitharan]], [[India national cricket team|India's]] [[Rahul Dravid]] and Australia's former Test captain [[Steve Waugh]].<ref name=17annual227>XI Kent's Overseas Cricketers, ''Kent County Cricket Club Annual 2017'', p.227. Canterbury: Kent County Cricket Club.</ref>

===Kent cricket legends' walkway===
As part of the redevelopment of Kent's home ground, the [[St Lawrence Ground]] in [[Canterbury]], the county planned to develop a "legends' walkway" at the entrance to the ground.<ref name=kccc14jan11>[http://www.kentcricket.co.uk/news/kent-cricket-joins-forces-with-krnm-for-the-legends’-walkway Kent cricket joins forces with KRNM for the Legends' Walkway] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305003020/http://www.kentcricket.co.uk/news/kent-cricket-joins-forces-with-krnm-for-the-legends%E2%80%99-walkway |date=2017-03-05}}, Kent County Cricket Club, 2011-01-14.</ref> A public vote was held to select 12 former players of the club to honour in the walkway. The 12 players were named in June 2011. They included [[Alfred Mynn]], who played for the county in the 19th century, [[Les Ames]], [[Colin Blythe]], [[Tich Freeman]] and [[Frank Woolley]] from the first half of the 20th century, [[Godfrey Evans]] and [[Doug Wright (cricketer)|Doug Wright]] from the 1930s–50s era, and [[Colin Cowdrey]], [[Alan Knott]], [[Brian Luckhurst]], [[John Shepherd (cricketer)|John Shepherd]] and [[Derek Underwood]] from the teams of the 1960s and 70s.<ref name=kccc2jun11>[http://www.kentcricket.co.uk/news/kent-cricket-announce-legends’-walkway-results Kent cricket announce Legends' Walkway results] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305003031/http://www.kentcricket.co.uk/news/kent-cricket-announce-legends%E2%80%99-walkway-results |date=2017-03-05 }}, Kent County Cricket Club, 2011-06-02. Retrieved 2016-06-15.</ref><ref name=ct3jun11>{{cite news |title=Top 12 for the legends' walkway |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=AWGLNB&req_dat=1054640702C8DBC0&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F137B864951B4AB48 |access-date=13 March 2024 |work=Folkestone Herald |via=Newsbank |date=2 June 2011}}</ref> The first bricks were produced for the walkway in April 2012<ref name=kccc26apr12>[http://www.kentcricket.co.uk/news/first-legends-walkway-bricks-produced First Legends' Walkway bricks produced], Kent County Cricket Club, 2012-04-26. Retrieved 2016-06-15.</ref> although they were removed during development of the ground in 2017–18 and moved adjacent to the Nackington Road entrance.

===Captains===
{{main|List of Kent County Cricket Club captains}}
[[Daniel Bell-Drummond]] is the current club captain. He was appointed in October 2023, replacing [[Sam Billings]] who resigned following the end of the 2023 season.<ref name=bbc12oct23>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/67092095 Kent: Daniel Bell-Drummond appointed as club captain to replace Sam Billings], [[BBC Sport]], 2023-10-12. Retrieved 2023-10-12.</ref>

In total 34 men have been appointed as club captain, beginning with [[George Harris, 4th Baron Harris|Lord Harris]] in 1875.<ref name=khistory /> [[Colin Cowdrey]] captained the side for the longest span in the County Championship era, serving between 1957 and 1971. [[Ted Dillon]] led the county to the [[County Championship]] title three times, the only man to captain Kent to more than one championship title. [[Mike Denness]]' side of the early 1970s won six one-day titles in his five years as captain.

===Current squad===
{{updated|25 December 2024}}

Of the players in the current squad [[Sam Billings]], [[Joe Denly]], [[Zak Crawley]], and [[Matt Parkinson (cricketer)|Matt Parkinson]] have appeared in [[Test cricket|Test matches]] and [[limited overs cricket]] for the [[England cricket team]]. [[Fred Klaassen]] has played [[One Day International]] and [[Twenty20 International]] cricket for the [[Netherlands national cricket team|Netherlands]] and [[Grant Stewart (cricketer)|Grant Stewart]] T20 Internationals for [[Italy national cricket team|Italy]].

* No. denotes the player's squad number, as worn on the back of their shirt.
* {{double-dagger}} denotes players with international caps.
* {{Color box|#CFECEC|<nowiki>*</nowiki>|border=darkgray}} denotes a player who has been awarded a [[Cricket cap#First-class cricket|county cap]].
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! No.
! Name
! Nationality
! Birth date
! Batting style
! Bowling style
! width="25%"|Notes
|-
! colspan="7" | Batters
|- style="background:#cfecec;"
|style="text-align:center"|2|| [[Ben Compton (cricketer)|Ben Compton]]* || {{cr|England}} || {{birth date and age|1994|3|29|df=y}} || Left-handed || Right-arm [[Off spin|off break]] || 
|-
|style="text-align:center"|5|| [[Ekansh Singh]] || {{cr|England}} || {{birth date and age|2006|7|16|df=y}} || Right-handed || Right-arm [[Fast bowling|medium]] || 
|- style="background:#cfecec;"
|style="text-align:center"|6|| [[Joe Denly]]*&nbsp;{{double-dagger}} || {{cr|England}} || {{birth date and age|1986|3|16|df=y}} || Right-handed || Right-arm [[Leg spin|leg break]] || 15 [[Test cricket|Test]], 16 [[One Day International|ODI]] and 13 [[Twenty20 International|T20I]] appearances for [[England cricket team|England]].<ref name=denly>[http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/12454.html Joe Denly], [[ESPNcricinfo]]. Retrieved 2015-09-30.</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|14|| [[Tawanda Muyeye]] || {{cr|Zimbabwe}} || {{birth date and age|2001|3|5|df=y}} || Right-handed || Right-arm [[Off spin|off break]] || Qualifies as a domestic player<ref>[https://www.kentcricket.co.uk/profile/tawanda-muyeye/ Tawanda Muyeye player profile], Kent County Cricket Club. Retrieved 2021-04-04.</ref>
|- style="background:#cfecec;"
|style="text-align:center"|16|| [[Zak Crawley]]*&nbsp;{{double-dagger}} || {{cr|England}} || {{birth date and age|1998|2|3|df=y}} || Right-handed || Right-arm [[Fast bowling|medium]] || England central contract;<br />47 [[Test cricket|Test]] and eight [[One Day International|ODI]] appearances for [[England cricket team|England]].<ref name=crawley>[http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/665053.html Zak Crawley], [[ESPNcricinfo]]. Retrieved 2019-12-15.</ref>
|- style="background:#cfecec;"
|style="text-align:center"|17|| [[Sam Northeast]]* || {{cr|England}} || {{Birth date and age|1989|10|16|df=y}} || Right-handed || Right-arm [[Off spin|off break]] ||
|- style="background:#cfecec;"
|style="text-align:center"|23|| [[Daniel Bell-Drummond]]* || {{cr|England}} || {{birth date and age|1993|8|3|df=y}} || Right-handed || Right-arm [[Fast bowling|medium]] || [[Captain (cricket)|Club Captain]]
|-
! colspan="7" | All-rounders
|-
|style="text-align:center"|9|| [[Grant Stewart (cricketer)|Grant Stewart]]&nbsp;{{double-dagger}} || {{cr|Italy}} || {{birth date and age|1994|2|19|df=y}} || Right-handed || Right-arm [[Fast bowling|fast-medium]] || 14 [[Twenty20 International|T20I]] appearances for [[Italy national cricket team|Italy]].<ref name=stewart>[https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/grant-stewart-1098186 Grant Stewart], [[ESPNcricinfo]]. Retrieved 2021-10-15.</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|22|| [[Corey Flintoff (cricketer)|Corey Flintoff]] || {{cr|England}} || {{birth date and age|2006|3|8|df=y}} || Right-handed || Right-arm [[Fast bowling|fast-medium]] || 
|-
|style="text-align:center"|24|| [[Olly Curtiss]] || {{cr|England}} || {{Birth date and age|2006|9|22|df=y}} || Right-handed || Right-arm [[Fast bowling|fast-medium]] || 
|-
|style="text-align:center"|33|| [[Joey Evison]] || {{cr|England}} || {{Birth date and age|2001|11|14|df=y}} || Right-handed || Right-arm [[Fast bowling|fast-medium]] ||
|-
|style="text-align:center"|42|| [[Jaydn Denly]] || {{cr|England}} || {{Birth date and age|2006|1|5|df=y}} || Left-handed || [[Left-arm orthodox spin|Slow left-arm orthodox]] || 
|-
! colspan="7" | Wicket-keepers
|- style="background:#cfecec;"
|style="text-align:center"|7|| [[Sam Billings]]* {{double-dagger}} || {{cr|England}} || {{birth date and age|1991|6|15|df=y}} || Right-handed || — || White ball contract; <br/>[[Captain (cricket)|Captain]] (T20); <br/>Three [[Test cricket|Test]], 28 [[One Day International|ODI]] and 36 [[Twenty20 International|T20I]] appearances for [[England cricket team|England]] and one T20I appearance for an [[Hurricane Relief T20 Challenge|ICC World XI]].<ref name=billings>[http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/297628.html Sam Billings], [[ESPNcricinfo]]. Retrieved 2015-09-30.</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|12|| [[Chris Benjamin (cricketer)|Chris Benjamin]] || {{cr|South Africa}} || {{Birth date and age|1999|4|29|df=y}} || Right-handed || — || UK Passport
|-
|style="text-align:center"|15|| [[Ben Dawkins (cricketer)|Ben Dawkins]] || {{cr|England}} || {{birth date and age|2006|10|19|df=y}} || Right-handed || — || 
|-
|style="text-align:center"|72|| [[Harry Finch (cricketer)|Harry Finch]] || {{cr|England}} || {{birth date and age|1995|2|10|df=y}} || Right-handed || Right-arm [[Fast bowling|medium]] ||
|-
! colspan="7" | Bowlers 
|- style="background:#cfecec;"
|style="text-align:center"|8|| [[Matt Milnes]]* || {{cr|England}} || {{Birth date and age|1994|7|29|df=y}} || Right-handed || Right-arm [[Fast bowling|fast-medium]] ||
|-
|style="text-align:center"|18|| [[Fred Klaassen]]&nbsp;{{double-dagger}} || {{cr|Netherlands}} || {{birth date and age|1992|11|13|df=y}} || Right-handed || Left-arm [[Fast bowling|fast-medium]] || White ball contract; <br/>19 [[One Day International|ODI]] and 39 [[Twenty20 International|T20I]] appearances for [[Netherlands cricket team|Netherlands]].<ref name=klaassen>[http://www.espncricinfo.com/netherlands/content/player/1104703.html Fred Klaassen], [[ESPNcricinfo]]. Retrieved 2018-10-01.</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|19|| [[Jas Singh (cricketer, born 2002)|Jas Singh]] || {{cr|England}} || {{birth date and age|2002|9|19|df=y}} || Right-handed || Right-arm [[Fast bowling|fast-medium]] || 
|-
|style="text-align:center"|28|| [[Matt Parkinson (cricketer)|Matt Parkinson]]&nbsp;{{double-dagger}} || {{cr|England}} || {{birth date and age|1996|10|24|df=y}} || Right-handed || Right-arm [[Leg spin|leg break]] || One [[Test cricket|Test]], five [[One Day International|ODI]] and six [[Twenty20 International|T20I]] appearances for [[England cricket team|England]].<ref name=parkinson>[https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/matt-parkinson-653695 Matt Parkinson], [[ESPNcricinfo]]. Retrieved 2023-10-02.</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|45|| [[Michael Cohen (cricketer)|Michael Cohen]] || {{cr|South Africa}} || {{birth date and age|1998|8|4|df=y}} || Left-handed || Left-arm [[Fast bowling|fast-medium]] || UK passport
|-
|style="text-align:center"|64|| [[Matt Quinn]] || {{cr|New Zealand}} || {{birth date and age|1993|2|28|df=y}} || Right-handed || Right-arm [[Fast bowling|fast-medium]] || UK passport holder
|-
|style="text-align:center"|75|| [[Keith Dudgeon (South African cricketer)|Keith Dudgeon]] || {{cr|South Africa}} || {{birth date and age|1995|11|7|df=y}} || Right-handed || Right-arm [[Fast bowling|fast-medium]] || Overseas player
|}

==Coaching staff==
[[Adam Hollioake]] was appointed as Kent's head coach in December 2024, replacing [[Matthew Walker (English cricketer)|Matt Walker]] who resigned as coach at the end of the 2024 season. The team was promoted to Division One of the [[County Championship]] and won the [[2021 Vitality Blast]] and [[2022 One-Day Cup]] under Walker's leadership.<ref name=bbc9dec24>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/c0q0w2z19klo Kent appoint Hollioake as new head coach], [[BBC Sport]], 2024-12-09. Retrieved 2025-04-11.</ref><ref name=bbc6sep24>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/articles/c4geww2vr0do Kent head coach Walker to leave at end of season], [[BBC Sport]], 2024-09-06. Retrieved 2024-10-01.</ref><ref name=ci6sep04>Ehantharajah V (2024) [https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/matt-walker-leaves-kent-head-coach-matthew-mott-1450069# Walker to leave Kent with Mott in frame as replacement], [[CricInfo]], 2024-09-06. Retrieved 2024-10-01.</ref> The team's bowling coach until September 2023 was [[Simon Cook (English cricketer)|Simon Cook]], another past player who was appointed as the club's Directors of Cricket, replacing [[Paul Downton]].<ref name=ko16sep19>Hogwood C (2019) [https://www.kentonline.co.uk/canterbury/sport/cook-set-for-kent-return-212342/ Kent appoint Simon Cook as specialist bowling coach], ''[[Kent Online]]'', 2019-09-16. Retrieved 2019-09-16.</ref> He was replaced by [[Robbie Joseph]], a former fast bowler who took 230 wickets for the county and had previously worked as the bowling coach at [[Gloucestershire County Cricket Club|Gloucestershire]].<ref name=bbc4dec23>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/67612127 Kent CCC: Toby Radford and Robbie Joseph join coaching staff], [[BBC Sport]], 2023-12-04. Retrieved 2023-12-04.</ref> At the same time, [[Toby Radford]] was appointed as the club's batting coach, replacing [[Alex Gidman]] who had left after a single season, moving to become an assistant coach with the [[England women's cricket team]].<ref name=bbc4dec23/><ref>[https://www.espncricinfo.com/story/alex-gidman-joins-england-women-as-assistant-coach-1406374 Alex Gidman joins England Women as assistant coach], [[CricInfo]], 31 October 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.</ref>

The Head of Talent Pathway in charge of the development of young cricketers at the club is former Second XI coach and player [[Min Patel]].<ref name=kccc25jan17 /><ref name=kccc20aug19>[https://www.kentcricket.co.uk/news/patel-appointed-head-of-talent-pathway/ Patel appointed Head of Talent Pathway], Kent County Cricket Club, 2019-08-29. Retrieved 2020-01-07.</ref> Patel works alongside [[Mark Dekker]] who had previously coached Kent Women and coaches the county's Second XI.<ref name=kccc20nov19>[https://www.kentcricket.co.uk/news/hathrill-appointed-kent-women-head-coach/ Hathrill appointed Kent Women Head Coach], Kent County Cricket Club, 2019-11-19. Retrieved 2020-01-07.</ref><ref name=ko20mar25>Reeves T (2025) [https://www.kentonline.co.uk/canterbury/sport/kent-have-food-for-thought-321649/ Kent pondering leadership options for Spitfires’ One-Day Cup campaign with second-team coach Mark Dekker in contention to take charge of squad once more], ''[[Kent Online]]'', 2025-03-20. Retrieved 2025-04-14.</ref> Former player [[Mark Ealham]] is a part-time coach with the club, also spending time coaching at [[The King's School, Canterbury]].<ref name=ealham>[http://www.kentcricket.co.uk/profile/mark-alan-ealham/ Mark Ealham], Management Team, Kent County Cricket Club. Retrieved 2018-10-31.</ref>

In October 2025 the club announced its former all-rounder Darren Stevens is to join the coaching squad as a bowling consultant.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Knight |first=Liam |date=2025-10-15 |title=KENT MEN COACHING SETUP CONFIRMED FOR THE 2026 SEASON |url=https://www.kentcricket.co.uk/news/kent-men-coaching-setup-confirmed-for-the-2026-season/ |access-date=2025-10-16 |website=Kent Cricket |language=en}}</ref>

==Records==
{{main|List of Kent County Cricket Club first-class cricket records|l1=First-class records|List of Kent County Cricket Club List A cricket records|l2=List A records|List of Kent County Cricket Club Twenty20 cricket records|l3=Twenty20 records}}

[[Frank Woolley]], who played for Kent between 1906 and 1938, holds the record for the most appearances, most career runs and most runs in a season for the county. He is the only man to score more than 100 centuries for Kent with 122 and is the county's fifth leading wicket taker. [[Bill Ashdown]] holds the record for the highest score for the county with 332 runs against [[Essex County Cricket Club|Essex]] in 1934. He is one of only three men to have scored a triple-century for Kent, with two to his name, the others being [[Sean Dickson (cricketer)|Sean Dickson]], who scored 318 against [[Northamptonshire County Cricket Club|Northants]] in [[Kent County Cricket Club in 2017|2017]], and [[Daniel Bell-Drummond]] who scored 300 [[not out]] against the same side in [[Kent County Cricket Club in 2023|2023]].<ref name=16annual>Milton H (2016) 'First-class records' in ''2016 Kent County Cricket Club Annual'', Kent County Cricket Club, 2016, pp. 189–235.</ref><ref name=ci4jul17>[http://www.espncricinfo.com/county-cricket-2017/content/story/1108436.html Dickson's 318 tops day of Kent records], [[ESPNcricinfo]], 2017-07-04. Retrieved 2017-07-04.</ref>

[[Tich Freeman]] is the county's leading wicket taker with 3,340 wickets. Freeman took more than 150 wickets for the county 14 times and holds the record for the most wickets in a season. Fellow [[spin bowling|spin bowler]] [[Colin Blythe]] has the best bowling figures in Kent's history taking 10/30 against [[Northamptonshire County Cricket Club|Northamptonshire]] in 1907, with 17/48 in the match. Freeman took [[ten wickets in a match]] 128 times with Blythe achieving the same feat 64 times.<ref name=16annual />

Along with Woolley and Freeman, [[Wally Hardinge]], [[James Seymour (cricketer)|James Seymour]] and [[Derek Underwood]] are the only men with more than 500 [[first-class cricket|first-class]] appearances for Kent.<ref name=16annual />

==Kent Women==
{{main|Kent Women cricket team}}
The [[Kent Women cricket team]] plays in the London Championship and Women's Twenty20 Cup. The first recorded match by a Kent Women's team was in May 1935,<ref name=cawomenother>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Teams/2/2128/Other_Womens_Matches.html Other matches played by Kent Women] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171214134227/https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Teams/2/2128/Other_Womens_Matches.html |date=14 December 2017 }}, CricketArchive. Retrieved 2016-05-24.</ref> with the team first appearing in the Women's Area Championship in 1980.<ref name=cawomencomp>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Teams/2/2128/Other_Events.html Other events played by Kent Women], CricketArchive. Retrieved 2016-05-24.</ref>

The side features a number of international players and is captained by [[England women's cricket team|England international]] [[Tammy Beaumont]]. They won the County Championship a record eight times during its existence, including the final tournament in 2019, and have won the Women's Twenty20 Cup three times, most recently in 2016. The team play the majority of their home matches at the [[County Cricket Ground, Beckenham]]. The Women's team is sponsored by [[Canterbury Christ Church University]].

==Gentlemen of Kent==
{{see also|List of Gentlemen of Kent cricketers}}
The Gentlemen of Kent side, generally made up of [[Amateur status in first-class cricket|amateur "gentlemen" cricketers]] from the county, played 48 first-class matches between 1830 and 1880.{{efn|A match styled as between the Gentlemen of Kent and MCC had been played in 1791.<ref name=gentfc>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Teams/0/729/First-Class_Matches.html First-class matches played by the Gentlemen of Kent], CricketArchive. Retrieved 2020-08-05. {{subscription required}}</ref>}}<ref name=gentfc/> These matches were played almost exclusively against [[Marylebone Cricket Club|MCC]] and [[Gentlemen of England]] sides and an annual first-class fixture took place during the [[Canterbury Cricket Week]] between 1842 and 1866.{{efn|The fixture did not take place between 1855 and 1857. Two matches played during the Week in 1879 and 1880 have also been given first-class status.<ref name=gentfc/>}}<ref name=gentfc/><ref name=moore29>Moore, pp. 29–30.</ref><ref>Rice, p. 12, p. 23.</ref> The Gentlemen would also regularly play a one-day match against [[I Zingari]], an amateur wandering side, during the Week and other matches were played on occasion, including against the [[Australian Aboriginal cricket team in England in 1868|touring Australian aboriginal side in 1868]].<ref name=gentother>[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Teams/0/729/Miscellaneous_Matches.html Miscellaneous matches played by the Gentlemen of Kent], CricketArchive. Retrieved 2020-08-04. {{subscription required}}</ref>

Sides named the Gentlemen of Kent had played cricket matches during the 18th century. The earliest known featuring a side using the name was a 1734 match against a Gentlemen of Sussex side at [[Sevenoaks Vine]].<ref name=gentother/><ref>[http://svcc1734.org/info/history/brief-history/ A Brief History of SVCC and Cricket on Sevenoaks Vine], [[Sevenoaks Vine]] Cricket Club. Retrieved 2020-08-04.</ref><ref>Sevenoaks Vine Week, ''[[The Times]]'', 17 July 1934, p. 6. ([https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/CS101526257/GDCS?u=nl_earl&sid=GDCS&xid=ef85dccd Available online] at The Times Digital Archive {{subscription required}}. Retrieved 2020-08-05.)</ref> The side was closely associated with the county side and had strong links to other amateur sides, including I Zingari and Band of Brothers, both of which would host tents during Canterbury Week, as well as to [[Old Stagers]], an amateur drama group which performed during Canterbury Week.<ref name=moore29/><ref>Rice, p. 19, p. 24.</ref>

==Kent Cricket Academy==
[[File:Denly2.jpg|thumb|right|Joe Denly, seen playing for Kent in 2016, is a graduate of the Kent Cricket Academy]]
Kent established an academy in 2003 with the aim of developing future first-class cricketers. The academy is based at the [[St Lawrence Ground]] in [[Canterbury]] and makes use of the Ames-Levett Sports Centre at the ground.<ref name=ci19feb03>[http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/story/126805.html Kent County Council to support Cricket Academy], [[ESPNcricinfo]], 2003-02-19. Retrieved 2016-06-01.</ref> It has produced over 25 first-term players for the county, including former club captain [[Sam Northeast]] and senior England internationals [[Tammy Beaumont]], [[Sam Billings]], [[Zak Crawley]], [[Joe Denly]], [[Natasha Farrant]], [[Lydia Greenway]] and [[Jo Watts]].<ref name=kn24may16>[http://www.kentnews.co.uk/sport/kent_coach_simon_willis_appointed_sri_lanka_high_performance_manager_1_4547330 Kent coach Simon Willis appointed Sri Lanka high performance manager] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531105513/http://www.kentnews.co.uk/sport/kent_coach_simon_willis_appointed_sri_lanka_high_performance_manager_1_4547330 |date=2016-05-31}}, ''Kent News'', 2016-05-24. Retrieved 2016-06-01.</ref> The leading academy scholar is awarded the John Aitken Gray trophy each year. Past winners have included county First XI players [[Daniel Bell-Drummond]], [[Alex Blake (cricketer)|Alex Blake]]<ref name=kn2sep15>Pyman T (2015) [http://www.kentnews.co.uk/sport/trio_honoured_in_kent_cricket_academy_awards_1_4217970 Trio honoured in Kent Cricket Academy Awards] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160611045829/http://www.kentnews.co.uk/sport/trio_honoured_in_kent_cricket_academy_awards_1_4217970 |date=2016-06-11 }}, ''Kent News'', 2015-09-02. Retrieved 2016-06-01.</ref> and [[Ollie Robinson (cricketer, born 1998)|Ollie Robinson]].<ref name=kccc28aug17>[http://www.kentcricket.co.uk/news/trio-win-academy-awards/ Trio win Academy awards], Kent County Cricket Club 2017-08-28. Retrieved 2018-02-03.</ref>

The academy was established by former wicket-keeper [[Simon Willis (cricketer)|Simon Willis]].<ref name=ci15jan03>[http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/story/127840.html Simon Willis appointed Director of the newly formed Kent Cricket Academy], [[ESPNcricinfo]], 2003-01-15. Retrieved 2016-06-01.</ref> [[Paul Farbrace]] and Philip Relf held lead coaching roles within the scheme until Willis was appointed as high performance director in 2011, serving in the role until May 2016 when he was appointed the high performance manager of [[Sri Lanka Cricket]].<ref name=bbc19nov03>[https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/counties/kent/3283685.stm Willis gets top Kent job], BBC sport, 2003-11-19. Retrieved 2016-06-01.</ref><ref name=ecb11sep07>''Kent academy post for Relf'', [[England and Wales Cricket Board]], 2007-09-11. Retrieved 2016-06-01.</ref><ref name=ci23may16>[http://www.espncricinfo.com/srilanka/content/story/1018815.html Simon Willis named SL high performance manager], [[ESPNcricinfo]], 2016-05-23. Retrieved 2016-06-01.</ref><ref name=ct24may16>{{cite news |title=Clifford hails director role |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=AWGLNB&req_dat=1054640702C8DBC0&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F15D15C944DA13A30 |access-date=13 March 2024 |work=Folkestone Herald |via=Newsbank |date=26 May 2016}}</ref> Former Kent and England spin bowler [[Min Patel]] took over the running of the academy on an interim basis following Willis' departure<ref name=kn24may16 /> before becoming Second XI coach in January 2017, with former [[Shropshire County Cricket Club|Shropshire]] wicket-keeper [[Jason Weaver (cricketer)|Jason Weaver]] taking over the role as high performance director, the two jobs replacing Willis' former role.<ref name=kccc25jan17>[http://www.kentcricket.co.uk/news/second-xi-coach-and-high-performance-director-appointed Second XI coach and high performance director appointed], Kent County Cricket Club, 2017-01-25. Retrieved 2017-01-25.</ref> When Weaver left the club in 2019, Patel took over the role, becoming the club's Head of Talent Pathway and working alongside former women's coach [[Mark Dekker]].<ref name=kccc20aug19/><ref name=kccc20nov19/>

==Honours==
Kent have won the [[County Championship]] seven times, including one shared title. Four of their wins came in the years before [[World War I]] between [[Kent County Cricket Club in 1906|1906]] and 1913, [[Ted Dillon]] captaining the side to three of their titles. The county had to wait until the 1970s to win their other Championship titles, winning outright in 1970 and 1978 and sharing the title with [[Middlesex County Cricket Club|Middlesex]] in 1977. Kent have finished as runner-up in the Championship on 12 occasions, most recently in 2004. The County Championship Second Division title was won by the county in 2009.<ref name=annual16p3>Reid J (ed) (2016) ''2016 Kent County Cricket Club Annual'', Kent County Cricket Club, p. 3.</ref>

The county First XI has also won a number of limited overs competition trophies. Eight trophies were won between 1967 and 1978, six times by teams led by [[Mike Denness]]. Three more trophies have followed in 1995, 2001 and 2007 and, most recently, the team won the [[2021 T20 Blast]]. Kent finished runners-up in the [[2008 Twenty20 Cup|2008 T20 competition]], the [[2008 Friends Provident Trophy]]<ref name=annual16p3 /> and the [[2018 Royal London One-Day Cup]].

The [[Second XI Championship]] title has been won nine times by the county, including one shared win in 1987. As of 2019 this represents a record number of victories in the competition. Four of the victories have occurred in the 21st century, with the most recent in 2012. The Second XI Trophy one-day competition was won in 2002 and 2019 and the county won the [[Minor Counties Championship]] twice in the 1950s when first-class Second XI's entered the competition.<ref name=annual16p3 />

[[Kent Women cricket team|Kent's women]] have won the [[Women's County Championship]] a record eight times, most recently in 2019, and have been runners-up five times since the competition was established in 1997. The women's side has also won the Twenty20 Championship three times, in 2011, 2013 and 2016.

===First XI honours===
* '''[[County Championship]] (6) – '''[[Kent County Cricket Club in 1906|1906]], [[Kent County Cricket Club in 1909|1909]], [[Kent County Cricket Club in 1910|1910]], 1913, 1970, 1978; '''shared (1) –''' 1977<br />Runners-up (12): 1988, 1908, 1911, 1919, 1928, 1967, 1968, 1972, 1988, 1992, 1997, 2004<br />'''County Championship Division Two (1) –''' [[Kent County Cricket Club in 2009|2009]]<br />Runners-up (2): [[Kent County Cricket Club in 2016|2016]], [[Kent County Cricket Club in 2018|2018]]
*'''County Championship Division Three (1) – '''[[Kent County Cricket Club in 2021|2021]]{{efn|The only time the County Championship has used three divisions was in 2021 when the competition was reorganised as a result of the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].}}
* '''[[Royal London One-Day Cup|One-Day Cup]]'''{{efn|Known as the [[Gillette Cup (England)|Gillette Cup]] (1963–1980), [[NatWest Trophy]] (1981–2000) and [[C&G Trophy]] (2001–2006), [[Friends Provident Trophy]] (2007–2009), [[ECB 40]] (2010–2013) and [[Royal London One-Day Cup]] (2014 onwards)}}''' (3) –''' 1967, 1974, [[Kent County Cricket Club in 2022|2022]]<br />Runners-up (5): 1971, 1983, 1984, [[Kent County Cricket Club in 2008|2008]], [[Kent County Cricket Club in 2018|2018]]
* '''[[Pro40|National League]]'''{{efn|Formerly known as the Sunday League (1969–1998). Ran until the end of the 2009 season.}}''' (5) –''' 1972, 1973, 1976, 1995, 2001<br />Runners-up (4): 1970, 1979, 1993, 1997
* '''[[Benson & Hedges Cup]]'''{{efn|Ran between 1972 and 2002.}} '''(3) –''' 1973, 1976, 1978<br />Runners-up (5): 1977, 1986, 1992, 1995, 1997
* '''[[Twenty20 Cup]]'''{{efn|Names have included the [[Twenty20 Cup]] (2003-2009), Friends Life t20 (2010-2013) and T20 Blast (2014 onwards).}} '''(2) –''' [[Kent County Cricket Club in 2007|2007]], [[Kent County Cricket Club in 2021|2021]]<br />Runners-up (1): [[Kent County Cricket Club in 2008|2008]]

===Second XI honours===
* '''[[Minor Counties Championship]] (2)''' – 1951, 1956
* '''[[Second XI Championship]] (8)''' – 1961, 1969, 1970, 1976, 2002, [[Kent County Cricket Club in 2005|2005]], 2006, [[Kent County Cricket Club in 2012|2012]]; '''shared (1) –''' 1987
* '''Second XI Trophy (2)''' – 2002, [[Kent County Cricket Club in 2019|2019]]

===Women's honours===
* '''[[Women's County Championship]] (8)''' – 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2019<br />Runners-up (5) – 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010, 2015
* '''Women's County Twenty20 Championship (3)''' – 2011, 2013, 2016

==Notes==
{{notelist}}
{{notelist-ua}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*[[Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians]] (ACS) (1985) ''A Guide to Important Cricket Matches Played in the British Isles, 1709–1863'' (second edition). Nottingham: ACS. ([https://archive.acscricket.com/online_library/match_guides/bi_imp_match_guide_2nd_ed/index.html Available online]. Retrieved 2022-04-04.)
*[[Derek Birley|Birley D]] (1999) ''A Social History of English Cricket''. London: Aurum Press. {{isbn|978 1 78131 1769}}
*Burrowes P, Knight L, Oakes S, Barnard D, Francis P, Carlaw D, Milton H (eds) (2021) ''Kent County Cricket Club Annual 2021''. Canterbury: Kent County Cricket Club.
*Carlaw D (2020) ''Kent County Cricketers A to Z. Part One: 1806–1914'' (revised edition). ([https://archive.acscricket.com/books/Kent_Cricketers_A_to_Z_Part_One_Revised_Expanded.pdf Available online] at the [[Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians]]. Retrieved 2020-12-21.)
*Ellis C, Pennell M (2010) ''Trophies and Tribulations''. London: Greenwich Publishing. {{isbn|978-0-9564081-0-5}}.
*Hignell A (2002) ''Rain Stops Play: Cricketing Climates''. London: Abingdon. {{isbn|0-7146-5173-7}}
*[[Simon Hughes (cricketer)|Hughes S]] (2009) ''And God Created Cricket''. London: Transworld Publishers. {{isbn|9781446422472}}
*Lewis P (2013) ''For Kent and Country''. Brighton: Reveille Press. {{isbn|978-1-908336-63-7}}.
*[[Timothy J. McCann|McCann TJ]], ed (2004) ''Sussex cricket in the Eighteenth Century''. Lewes: Sussex Record Society. {{isbn|9780854450558}} ([https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015054438950&view=1up&seq=1 Available online] at the [[University of Michigan]] library. Retrieved 2022-04-04.)
*Milton H (1992) ''Cricket Grounds of Kent''. Nottingham: [[The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians]]. ([https://archive.acscricket.com/cricket_grounds/kent_grounds/index.html Available online]. Retrieved 2022-04-04.)
*Milton H (2020) ''Kent County Cricket Grounds''. Worthing: Pitch Publishing. {{isbn|978-1-78531-661-6}}
*Moore D (1988) ''The History of Kent County Cricket Club''. London: Christopher Helm. {{ISBN|0-7470-2209-7}}
*Moseling M, Quarrington T (2013) ''A Half-Forgotten Triumph: The story of Kent's County Championship title of 1913''. Cheltenham: SportsBooks. {{isbn|978-1-907524-40-0}}.
* Rice J (2019) ''Stories of Cricket’s Finest Painting''. Worthing: Pitch Publishing. {{isbn|9781785315053}}
*[[David Underdown|Underdown D]] (2000) ''Start of Play: Cricket and Culture in Eighteenth Century England'' London: Allen Lane. {{isbn|0-7139-9330-8}}

==Further reading==
* [[Lord Harris|Harris]] & [[F. S. Ashley-Cooper|Ashley-Cooper FS]] (1929) ''Kent Cricket Matches 1719–1880''. Canterbury: Gibbs & Sons.

==External links==
* {{official}}
*[http://www.kentcommunitycricket.co.uk Official website] of Kent Cricket Community team

{{Kent CCC|state=expanded}}
{{Kent County Cricket Club squad}}
{{English first-class cricket clubs}}
{{Cricket in England}}

[[Category:Kent County Cricket Club| ]]
[[Category:History of Kent]]
[[Category:Cricket in Kent]]
[[Category:1842 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Cricket clubs established in 1842]]
[[Category:First-class cricket teams in England]]
[[Category:Sport in the London Borough of Bromley]]
[[Category:City of Canterbury]]
[[Category:Borough of Maidstone]]
[[Category:Sport in Royal Tunbridge Wells]]