Kent’s Matt Milnes has been impressed by how fellow seam bowler Jas Singh has developed.
Milnes has returned after a three-year stint with Yorkshire.
The 31-year-old is relishing the chance to lead Kent’s bowling attack alongside South African overseas players Keith Dudgeon and Glenton Stuurman – but feels some of the club’s younger bowlers have also kicked on.
Chief among them is Singh, now 23, who is back fit after his 2025 campaign was cut short by injury. He played back-to-back red-ball matches for the first time at the start of last season, only to miss the rest of the summer with an ankle problem.
Milnes sees no reason why Singh cannot push for a first-team place as he tries to lead the line himself at Kent once more.
“I feel like we’re in a far stronger position, coming into this year with the guys we have got in our bowling slots now,” Milnes said.
“We have a couple of overseas guys coming in to help strengthen that. They look like really good bowlers, too.
“Then, there is someone like Jas. I saw him four years ago but, to see him now and we got to bowl at The Oval the other day, the development he has made in that time is amazing to see.
“He looks really good. Obviously, people like that help to drive others forward.
“He should be doing everything he can to get a place in the first team and that can only be good.”
While many of Kent’s youngsters will be new faces to Milnes, he is familiar with 20-year-old all-rounder Jaydn Denly.
He said: “I watched Jaydn in the nets the other day and, at times, it just looks too easy for him.
“I wish I was that good at that age! It’s very good to watch.
“They’re probably the only two (young) guys I can remember playing with but, to see how they have progressed, that’s great. Jaydn has played for England under-19s, as well.
“There is the crop of slightly younger guys on the back of that, who just look really good.
“It’s only going to help, having those guys chomping at the bit.”
Meanwhile, Jaydn’s uncle and team-mate, Joe Denly, has moved into a batting mentorship role to support batting coach Jaahid Ali as he focuses his playing commitments on the Vitality T20 Blast competition.
Another whom Milnes played with in his first Kent spell, Darren Stevens, will be a part of Kent’s backroom staff, too. He will assist head coach Adam Hollioake and bowling coach Sam Faulkner.
On the new positions for Denly Sr and the legendary Stevens, Milnes joked: “It makes me feel a little bit old!
“Those two guys know my game very well which, from a playing point of view, should be really helpful for me. Obviously, I have bowled a number of overs with Darren being at mid-off.
“For him to have a role where he can have an input on your bowling, that’s very good.”
Milnes thinks it’s the first time he will now be coached by a former team-mate – but is confident Stevens, turning 50 next month, will help get the best out of his game.
“He knows my game – I didn’t know his game – he was just too good!” said Milnes.
“But he does know my game and I think he has got a good eye for seeing little things that just might help in any way.
“I’d like to think I know my game fairly well now so it’s just about those little things. Obviously, he has got a wealth of knowledge to give to the younger guys that, perhaps, are still trying to find their game a bit more.
“I think it’s nothing but good, having a consistent coaching staff.”
Milnes makes his Kent comeback after he endured an injury-hit stay with Yorkshire.
While he accepts the squad may need to be rotated at times, he’s optimistic he can remain an all-format cricketer this season.
“Last year, I played a good amount of cricket,” he explained.
“I didn’t necessarily miss many games in terms of injuries or anything like that. I certainly feel fit enough to play all three formats.
“Obviously, with the nature of the beast of red-ball cricket, with the depth we have got, it would be stupid to suggest I’ll play all 14 games. On the whole if you look at the Championship, the best sides tend to share the workload a little bit.
“If you look at Surrey, they usually do ‘two on, one off’, and mix it around like that, so I think it’s important to have the depth to do that and, as it stands, we have that. I think it’s a good formula.
“If we can keep players on the park, it should work well.”
Milnes was involved in one of Kent’s most memorable days in recent years when they claimed the Blast title at Edgbaston in 2021.
Asked if he could bring a winners’ mentality to Kent’s current crop, he replied: “I hope to do that through my performances more than anything.
“Obviously winning in 2021 was a great day – and I’d love to replicate that! Hopefully, we can get to finals day this year and then you give yourself that chance, don’t you?
“But on the whole, ‘Smokes’ has spoken about the process of winning games and taking it one at a time. I think that’s the main thing.”
Milnes is excited to play with batsman Sam Northeast – after struggling against him!
Northeast made Milnes’ List A debut a memorable one as Northeast thrashed an unbeaten 105 for Hampshire in Spitfires’ 90-run defeat at Canterbury in April 2019.
Milnes, who still took 5-79 that day, said: “I’ve played against him a decent amount. I know what a good player he is.
“I seem to recall him whacking me about at Canterbury in my first One-Day game!
“Obviously, he’s a high-class performer. Having anyone like that in your middle-order gives you almost like a security blanket because you know what you’re going to get from him and young guys can bat around him.
“Hopefully, it’ll keep the bowlers with their flip-flops on for a good amount of time.”
Kent’s final pre-season friendly against Oxford UCCE concluded in a draw in Canterbury on Monday.
Wicketkeeper Chris Benjamin led the way with 58, before retiring out, in the hosts’ second-innings score of 163-8 declared.
Jas Singh (1-15) took the second-innings Oxford UCCE wicket to fall but the teams shook hands in the afternoon, with the visitors 70-1 after 18 overs.
