Captain Daniel Bell-Drummond has hailed returning Kent team-mate Sam Northeast as one of the best batsmen on the county circuit.
Northeast, now 36, has rejoined Kent on a two-year deal, with head coach Adam Hollioake having beaten off stiff competition for the right-hander’s signature.
Northeast had been at Glamorgan for four seasons, leading them in the four-day format to County Championship Division 1 promotion before his exit, largely due to family reasons.
The Ashford-born former Kent skipper, who initially left for Hampshire in 2018, will now hope to replicate that red-ball success back at Canterbury.
“It’s brilliant to have Sam back,” said Bell-Drummond. “He’s one of the best batters in the country so, when something like that happens (him re-signing), it’s always going to bring a positive response.
“I know he’s very happy to be home. He’s very happy to be back in a Kent shirt, having spoken to him.
“The experience he brings is second to none.
“No doubt, the runs he will score will help Kent to win games.”
Himself a Kent Academy graduate, Bell-Drummond, 32, is one of few that remains from the last Kent squad Northeast was a part of.
The other Kent players Northeast had played with back then were Spitfires’ Vitality T20 Blast skipper Sam Billings, England international Zak Crawley, all-rounder Grant Stewart and vastly-experienced campaigner Joe Denly.
“Time flies, doesn’t it?” said Bell-Drummond.
“I remember it like it was yesterday when he was here during the first-half of his career. He has always been a brilliant batter.
“Obviously, his family is here and it’s great to have him back.
“He has still got a good few years in him to score some more runs, break more records and, most importantly, to just add to the group. I know he will.
“He’s desperate to do that and help some of the very good young players that we have got, coming through. He’s a good all-round package to add to the changing room.
“We’re really looking forward to having him back.”
Another player rejoining Kent for the new season is seam bowler Matt Milnes, who returns on a three-year deal.
The 31-year-old took 193 wickets in 94 appearances in his first spell at the club before leaving to join Yorkshire.
But Milnes struggled with a series of injuries and is back at Kent, having helped Spitfires win the 2021 Vitality T20 Blast.
Bell-Drummond said: “He, obviously, had a tricky period at Yorkshire injury-wise but he’s a class bowler.
“At his best, when he’s fit and firing, there aren’t many better than him in the country. It’s great to have him and Sam back.
“From Matt’s perspective, I think he just wants to get going and enjoy his cricket.
“We’re a place he’s very familiar with – it wasn’t that long ago he left in the first place – so, hopefully, he will pick up where he left off in a Kent shirt. We have got a lot of good memories of him here.
“He was a massive part of us winning the T20 Blast in 2021. We’re very happy he has come back and I know he is, too.
“He can’t wait to get going.”
Kent all-rounder Grant Stewart played for Italy in their T20 World Cup 73-run defeat to Scotland in Kolkata, India, last Monday.
Stewart, who will turn 32 this Thursday, returned figures of 1-44 as he dismissed ex-Kent player George Munsey for 84 before he was caught by Munsey off Michael Leask (4-17) for two.
County team-mate Fred Klaassen returned 1-25 from three overs as The Netherlands saw off Namibia by seven wickets last Tuesday.
Teenage Kent opener Ben Dawkins struck a half-century as England lost their under-19s World Cup final to India by 100 runs.
Dawkins, 19, fired 66 from 56 balls but England were all out for 311 – some way short of India’s 411-9 from their 50 overs, inspired by 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s breathtaking 175 off just 80 balls.
