Denly signs new deal to stay with Kent

Joe Denly has committed his future to Kent for at least another three summers.

The Canterbury-born 35-year-old has risen through the ranks of his home county, representing every age group side before making his First Class debut against Oxford University in 2004.

Denly has gone onto make over 400 appearances for Kent, scoring over 17,000 runs in all formats. He made his England Test debut in 2019.

Speaking after his contract extension, he said: “I’m delighted to stay at Kent and be a part of what could really be a promising future for this group.

“We have made leaps and bounds on and off the field over the past few seasons, and I’m excited to take on the challenges that this new-found belief in ourselves will bring.” Director of cricket Paul Downton was pleased to have Denly onboard for the foreseeable future.

He said: “He is a model professional cricketer who sets his own high standards. Joe has become the natural leader of our batting line-up and a calming influence in the dressing room.

“He brought the same calmness to the England top order, particularly during the 2019 Ashes.

“Joe has a huge role to play at Kent as a proven run scorer and a mentor to our crop of talented young batsmen. I look forward to Joe being a fixture in the Kent line-up for many years to come.”

Denly has played 15 Tests for England, the last of which came against West Indies last summer. He has 827 runs to his name at an average of 29.53 including a highest score of 94 against Australia at The Oval in September 2019.

Kent’s Joe Denly