Australian all-rounder Tom Rogers has agreed to rejoin Kent Spitfires for the 2025 T20 Blast campaign.
Rogers played during their second six-match block of games in the shortest format in 2024 and made a positive impact despite Spitfires finishing bottom of the South group.
He struck an unbeaten 31 from just 12 balls in a 13-run defeat against Glamorgan in Canterbury and even joked he would play for Kent again for free after that game.
Now, 30-year-old Rogers is set to make his Spitfires return alongside fellow Australian Wes Agar, whose all-format deal comeback will see the fast bowler be available for Kent from April until the end of July.
But director of cricket Simon Cook has confirmed any more new domestic signings beyond that of batsman Chris Benjamin are unlikely to happen before the new season despite the appointment of new head coach Adam Hollioake.
“We’re at a point now where it’s unlikely we will be making any signings, certainly domestically,” said Cook.
“Overseas player-wise, there’s still possibly a bit of player movement that we can do. We have got Wes until July to cover T20 cricket and four-day cricket.
“Tom Rogers is coming back for the T20s so, that covers that, but we don’t have anyone yet for the back-half of the year in terms of the One-Day Cup and the County Championship games at the back-end. We will need to look at that.
“That’s where Adam’s stamp will start to come with that overseas player coverage at the back-end of the year.”
Rogers has played for Tasmania in Australia’s One-Day Cup this winter while Agar has represented South Australia – in the same competition and the Sheffield Shield.
While Rogers and Agar have agreed to return, there are several factors to take into consideration around overseas signings, with Kent not having much luck within that department in 2024.
As he prepares for a second full season in his role, Cook said: “You just don’t know who’s going to arrive.
“We have got Wes locked in – but he might not arrive. We just don’t know yet.
“The overseas player market is such you can have the best-laid plans and have all the overseas players locked in right now, and they’ll all be different by the time April 4 comes around!
“That’s my one big learning from last year. Don’t count your chickens.
“Even once you have signed all your players and everything else, don’t just assume they’ll turn up because it’s a very different space when you actually get to the tournament.”
Spitfires begin their 2025 T20 Blast season against Gloucestershire in Bristol on Friday, May 30, having already opened their County Championship Division 2 campaign away to Northamptonshire from Friday, April 4.
