Ben Compton celebrated being awarded his county cap by signing a new three-year deal at Kent – and then helping them to a promising position against Northants.
The game, part of the 173rd Canterbury Cricket Week, could hardly have got off to a better start for those Kent supporters fearing that rumours of Compton’s departure at the end of the season would come to fruition.
Instead, he was deservedly awarded his county cap at lunch on day one of their Rothesay County Championship at Canterbury and by tea, the county announced he had penned a new three-year deal to extend his stay at the club to the end of the 2028 season.
“Kent has become my home and I’m delighted to further my playing career here,” said Compton.
“The current landscape provides an opportunity for us as a team to strive and push ourselves beyond, towards seeing this prestigious and historic club return to its former heights.
“I’m excited and fully driven to be a part of that journey.
“Since I’ve joined, I’ve really just enjoyed everything about it.
“We have had some tough times in the recent past, and that’s no secret, but I think the dressing room is very solid, very sound.
“I’ve really enjoyed Daniel Bell-Drummond as captain in the recent past, and really enjoyed Adam Hollioake, thus far, so some good signs.”
After winning the toss, Kent reached 325-4 at stumps with Compton scoring 66 – the first time he has passed fifty this summer but not gone on to make a century.
Before play, there was an immaculate minute’s silence for Wayne Larkins, the former Northamptonshire and England opener, who passed away yesterday at the age of 71.
The opening session was notable for two knocks from young Kent batters in the shape of Jaydn Denly and Ekansh Singh.
Denly, who had a six over the covers early on in a stylish innings, raced to 35 off 36 balls before he was caught in the gully by Justin Broad off Liam Guthrie.
Singh was playing only his second first-class game, but he looked as assured as Denly had, only to fall a run shy of his half-century when Dom Leech had him caught behind.
Compton nicked Broad behind as Kent reached 207-3 at tea. Tawanda Muyeye again made a solid contribution but was trapped leg before by Guthrie with the new ball for 58.
Skipper Daniel Bell-Drummond became the third Kent player to make a half-century when he hit Guthrie for four through cover and he was joined by Joey Evison, who had reached 29 not out by stumps.
Compton said: “I actually thought the whole day they bowed really well. They were very tight.
“They realised the pitch is quite slow. It wasn’t going to create any immediate problems for batters in the sense of level of threat, but it was hard to score because it was quite slow.
“I think they recognised that quite early and credit them for bowling well. I think they hung in there.”
Report from ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
