Experienced England county cricket all-rounder Darren Stevens has announced his retirement at the age of 46. The Kent favorite said on Friday that a first-class career that began in 1997 will end at the end of the current season. Stevens, who joined Kent from his native Leicestershire in 2005, has enjoyed some of his finest moments with both bat and ball in recent years. He hit a career-best 237 and took five wickets in an innings against Yorkshire in 2019 and the following season took 29 wickets with his nagging average pace averaging just over 15.5 in the inaugural Bob Willis Trophy.
Leicester-born Stevens won the T20 Blast with Leicestershire in 2004 and repeated this feat with Kent in 2007 and 2021.
His career in Kent saw the hard hitting Stevens score over 22,000 runs, including 43 centuries.
Cricket bible Wisden recognized his achievements in 2021 and named him one of the cricketers of the year, the oldest to receive the honor since Leicestershire bowler Ewart Astill in 1933.
Stevens recently suffered a calf injury while hitting during the One-Day Cup game against Glamorgan and may not be appearing again this season, having played just five County Championship games in 2022.
“It is bittersweet that my time at Kent has finally come to an end after such a long time and where I am so proud to have fulfilled my boyhood dream with such a phenomenal club. The memories will stay with me forever,” said Stevens. .
The medium-pacer and hard-hitting batsman added, “I’m looking forward to the next chapter, but looking back, I’m very proud of the chapter I’ve just completed.”
Despite all his success at the provincial level, Stevens has not been capped by England in any form.
“It’s frustrating when you see a lot of people who have played or are playing,” he said in an interview with AFP in April.
Stevens may have missed an international cap, but he’s definitely on the radar of the Australian internationals who have been practicing their craft in England’s county game – they’ve even set up a WhatsApp group called “Stevo’s gonna get ya”.
Kent director of cricket Paul Downton, who paid tribute on Friday, said: “Over the past 25 years, Darren Stevens has been an inspiring cricketer.”
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The former England wicket-keeper added: “His figures are remarkable in the modern era which, along with his ability to influence and win matches, make him a true Kent legend.
“It is inconceivable that a player of his talent was never selected to play international cricket.”
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