Opener Ben Compton is optimistic Kent’s decision to blood youth last summer will bring long-term rewards.
Head coach Adam Hollioake handed first-team opportunities to Ben Dawkins, Corey Flintoff – the eldest son of England legend Freddie Flintoff – Ekansh Singh and Olly Curtiss alongside 19-year-old Jaydn Denly, who had already been integrated into the senior set-up the previous campaign.
All-rounder Denly claimed Kent’s young player-of-the-year award after he scored 686 runs and took 14 wickets in 18 appearances across first-class and List A cricket.
Singh and Dawkins also struck first-class best scores of 71 and 61, respectively, despite Kent falling to an innings loss against Derbyshire in their final game of the campaign.
Compton said: “The young players will benefit from it and the club will benefit from it.
“In that context, where we’re pretty much out of any kind of trophy hunt or anything along those lines, I think it does sometimes provide that opportunity to play the younger guys.
“We took that opportunity with both hands. It’s been highlighted a lot because we did see a lot of promise with those younger players.
“Ekansh Singh, Jaydn Denly, Ben Dawkins, Corey Flintoff and Olly Curtiss, these guys are really young. I think it’s difficult for ‘outside folk’ to understand how inexperienced they are.
“We threw them into professional cricket and we saw, at different times, them really show their promise and their talent.
“It’s definitely exciting to see what they can continue to build, develop and improve.
“That’s only going to stand the club in good stead. We need to build a really strong squad.
“In my opinion, that was one of our shortcomings last year.
“At full strength, we saw what we could do in our first two or three games but then, when the injuries happened, it probably showed the issues we’ve got in our squad where guys either hadn’t been playing much cricket – but were then thrown in – or were injured but were thrown in.
“To give those younger guys those opportunities, that’s definitely going to benefit them and our squad this summer.”
Dawkins and Singh contributed 258 runs in Kent Spitfires’ 2025 One-Day Cup campaign – the former striking a maiden List A century of 111 in a seven-wicket win against Northamptonshire Steelbacks in late August – before they returned to red-ball action for Kent’s season run-in.
A tall and aggressive batsman, Dawkins has already drawn comparisons with fellow Kent player Zak Crawley.
Compton, one of many Kent options at the top of the order alongside Tawanda Muyeye, Crawley, Dawkins and captain Daniel Bell-Drummond, said: “He looks similar at the crease, doesn’t he?
“When we have got a full squad and can see who’s available, we’ll figure out what the best opening partnership is.
“One of our shortcomings last year, particularly in the first few games, was we lost a few early wickets.
“That meant your middle-order, who are more of your talented strokemakers, had to come in and not necessarily play their natural game.
“We have got to find the right balance of mixing aggression with solidity and giving us a solid start.”
Compton also described the fitness levels required, particularly within four-day cricket, to enjoy success as an opening batsman.
He explained: “I don’t want to say ‘Opening batters are fitter than anyone else’ – that’s not what I’m trying to say – but if you’re doing your job well as an opener or top-three batsman, you’re out on the field longer than anyone.
“You have to field and then you have got to go and do your job. There is definitely a high-level of fitness and durability that’s needed for them.
“You definitely have to be very fit and very durable.
“Being aware of that and being on top of that is very important.”
