Kent set to release County veteran Darren Stevens after end of 2022 season

Darren Stevens in action for Kent in 2021

Kent Cricket is set to release county veteran Darren Stevens at the end of the ongoing championship season. The cricketer joined Kent’s camp back during the 2005 edition of the competition.

Stevens, now 46-years old, seems to have played his last county match already as he is currently out of action due to a calf injury.

Darren Stevens’ 25-year county journey to end this season

The all-rounder served Leicestershire between 1997 and 2004 before parting ways with his home side. He then joined Kent for the long haul, one that is set to end after 18 years.

Kent’s decision to release Stevens came as a surprise to many, considering not long ago, the cricketer himself expressed his keenness to continue playing.

Quite recently, he sustained a calf injury during his side’s Royal London One-Day defeat to Glamorgan. He was retired hurt in the match after scoring 18 with the bat.

If the cricketer fails to recover from his injury before the conclusion of the season, the match could well likely be the last of Stevens’ glittering career. With his age, he is unlikely to be picked by any other side for future seasons.

Career summary

The battle-hardened campaigner managed to claim just six wickets across six county matches this season. This is in stark contrast to his performance from the previous five county summers, where he averaged less than 20 with the ball each year.

Overall, the Leicester-born cricketer has made 326 First-Class appearances. He piled up 16,676 runs in the process and snared 591 wickets with more than 30 five-wicket hauls.

Read | Sam Billings determined to earn his place back in the Test side