Sam Billings continued to be selected for England limited overs squads, although he had to settle for only three appearances in 2016. On 21 February, he played in the second of two T20I matches at the end of the South Africa tour, scoring 5 runs in Johannesburg. Billings was selected in England's squad for the 2016 World Twenty20 in India, but did not play during the tournament other than as a substitute fielder. On 5 July, he featured in the only T20I during Sri Lanka's tour of England. Billings played a single ODI, the final match of three during England's tour of Bangladesh, on 12 October at Chittagong, opening the batting with a useful 62 in a four wicket win.
Sam Northeast won the club's Player of the Year award, having scored over 2,000 runs across all formats for a second successive season.
In October 2015, Kent Cricket Academy graduate and England Under-19 wicket-keeper Ryan Davies left the club, signing for Somerset in search of more regular first XI cricket. All-rounder Ben Harmison was released in February after four seasons with Kent. On 18 April 2016, former captain Rob Key announced his retirement from playing. Key had spent his entire career with Kent and captained the team for nine years over two spells. He also represented England at international level, and scored a total of 19,419 first-class runs since his debut in 1998.
Following the end of the season, fast bowlers David Griffiths and Sam Weller were released by Kent, neither having their contracts renewed, whilst 40-year old all-rounder Darren Stevens signed a new one-year contract to extend his time at the county. In October head coach Jimmy Adams also left the county to return to his native Jamaica. After his loan spell, Will Gidman signed a permanent contract with Kent in October 2016 having been released by Nottinghamshire.
Former Hampshire and Gloucestershire wicket-keeper Adam Rouse signed for Kent in January on a two-year contract. Rouse had previously played for Kent's Second XI in 2014, and returned for a trial in April 2015 as cover for Sam Billings. Billings missed almost the first two months of the season due to being drafted by the Delhi Daredevils franchise for the 2016 Indian Premier League season.
In February, Kent announced the signing of two overseas players. First the club announced that South African fast bowler Kagiso Rabada would have a spell with Kent from late June until the end of July, between international commitments. The young bowler impressed during England's tour of South Africa, which had recently concluded. A few days later, the club announced the signing of New Zealand international batsman Tom Latham to play in all three competitions during the season. Latham's last match before joining up with his national team for a tour of Zimbabwe was a T20 fixture against Gloucestershire on 8 July. In 2015, the squad had not featured anyone classified as an overseas player.
After Rouse suffered a hand injury in June, and Billings was called into the England T20 squad, former Sussex wicket-keeper Callum Jackson was signed in early July. Kent would otherwise have been without a wicket-keeper in their County Championship match against Essex at the beginning of the month. Jackson had played as a substitute wicket-keeper during the Championship match at Glamorgan in June following Rouse's injury.
In late July, Kent announced the signing of Will Gidman from Nottinghamshire on a one-month loan deal. The former Gloucestershire all-rounder had recently returned from injury and would be available for four One-Day Cup games and two County Championship matches. Captain Sam Northeast stated that Gidman's signing would bolster the team's resources with Calum Haggett and Fabian Cowdrey unavailable through injury. Having impressed during this spell, Gidman's loan deal was extended for the remaining three matches of the season.
On 19 August, Kent announced the signing of South Africa international fast-bowler Hardus Viljoen as the overseas player for the final four County Championship matches of the season, with the club citing a number of injuries to bowlers over the course the season as the reason for the signing.
Ages given as of the first day of the 2016 County Championship season, 10 April 2016.
No.
Name
Nationality
Birth date
Batting style
Bowling style
Notes
4
Rob Key
England
(1979-05-12)12 May 1979 (aged 36)
Right-handed
Right arm off break
Retired 18 April 2016
6
Joe Denly
England
(1986-03-16)16 March 1986 (aged 30)
Right-handed
Right arm leg break
10
Alex Blake
England
(1989-01-25)25 January 1989 (aged 27)
Left-handed
Right arm medium-fast
16
Zak Crawley
England
(1998-02-03)3 February 1998 (aged 18)
Right-handed
Right arm medium
17
Sam Northeast
England
(1989-10-16)16 October 1989 (aged 26)
Right-handed
Right arm off break
Club captain
23
Daniel Bell-Drummond
England
(1993-08-03)3 August 1993 (aged 22)
Right-handed
Right arm medium
48
Tom Latham
New Zealand
(1992-04-02)2 April 1992 (aged 24)
Left-handed
Right arm medium
Overseas signingLeft in mid-July to join the New Zealand team in Zimbabwe.
58
Sean Dickson
South Africa
(1991-09-02)2 September 1991 (aged 24)
Right-handed
Right arm medium
British passport holder
3
Darren Stevens
England
(1976-04-30)30 April 1976 (aged 39)
Right-handed
Right arm medium
24
Adam Ball
England
(1993-03-01)1 March 1993 (aged 23)
Right-handed
Left arm fast-medium
25
Calum Haggett
England
(1990-10-30)30 October 1990 (aged 25)
Left-handed
Right arm medium-fast
26
Matt Coles
England
(1990-05-26)26 May 1990 (aged 25)
Left-handed
Right arm fast-medium
30
Fabian Cowdrey
England
(1993-01-30)30 January 1993 (aged 23)
Right-handed
Slow left-arm orthodox
42
Will Gidman
England
(1985-02-14)14 February 1985 (aged 31)
Left-handed
Right arm medium
On loan from Nottinghamshire (23 July to the end of the season)
7
Sam Billings
England
(1991-06-15)15 June 1991 (aged 24)
Right-handed
—
12
Adam Rouse
England
(1992-06-30)30 June 1992 (aged 23)
Right-handed
—
21
Callum Jackson
England
(1994-09-07)7 September 1994 (aged 21)
Right-handed
—
5
Ivan Thomas
England
(1991-09-25)25 September 1991 (aged 24)
Right-handed
Right arm medium-fast
8
Mitchell Claydon
England
(1982-11-25)25 November 1982 (aged 33)
Left-handed
Right arm medium-fast
11
Imran Qayyum
England
(1993-05-23)23 May 1993 (aged 22)
Right-handed
Slow left-arm orthodox
14
Matt Hunn
England
(1994-03-22)22 March 1994 (aged 22)
Right-handed
Right arm fast-medium
15
James Tredwell
England
(1982-02-27)27 February 1982 (aged 34)
Left-handed
Right arm off break
18
David Griffiths
England
(1985-11-10)10 November 1985 (aged 30)
Left-handed
Right arm fast-medium
19
Sam Weller
England
(1994-11-21)21 November 1994 (aged 21)
Right-handed
Right arm fast-medium
22
Charlie Hartley
England
(1994-01-04)4 January 1994 (aged 22)
Right-handed
Right arm medium-fast
27
Hugh Bernard
England
(1996-09-14)14 September 1996 (aged 19)
Right-handed
Right arm medium-fast
33
Adam Riley
England
(1992-03-23)23 March 1992 (aged 24)
Right-handed
Right arm off break
52
Kagiso Rabada
South Africa
(1995-05-25)25 May 1995 (aged 20)
Left-handed
Right arm fast
Overseas signing (June–July)
77
Hardus Viljoen
South Africa
(1989-03-06)6 March 1989 (aged 27)
Right-handed
Right arm fast
Overseas signing (19 August to the end of the season)
Kent played 16 County Championship matches in 2016, playing once at home and once away against each of the other eight counties in Division Two. Six home matches were played at the St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury, with one match at both the Nevill Ground in Tunbridge Wells and the County Cricket Ground, Beckenham. The county won five games, drew eight and lost only twice in the Championship, finishing second to Essex County Cricket Club. In previous years a second-place finish would have led to promotion to Division One of the Championship, but 2016 saw a rebalancing of the number of teams in each division and, as a result, only one team was promoted.
Kent's match against Worcestershire at New Road in April was abandoned without a ball bowled due to a water-logged outfield. This match was classed as a draw and five points were awarded to each team.
Durham, who had finished 4th in Division One, were deducted 48 points by the ECB at the end of the season as a result of their financial problems. This resulted in their relegation to Division Two. The ECB announced that Hampshire, who had finished 8th in Division One, would be reprieved from relegation. Kent chairman, George Kennedy, launched an appeal claiming that Kent should be promoted instead of this reprieve for Hampshire given the one-off scenario of the runners-up of Division Two missing out on promotion in 2016. The ECB did not change their decision, meaning that Kent will remain in Division Two for the 2017 season.
Source:
Scorecard
New Road, WorcesterUmpires: IJ Gould and RK Illingworth
Points: Kent 24, Glamorgan 5HR Bernard made his first-class debut; TWM Latham made his Kent debutDJ Bell-Drummond and TWM Latham became the first Kent opening pair to post a century partnership in both innings of a championship match (131 and 190) since 1954; only the third instance of this in the club's history.After the match, MT Coles was reported by the umpires for a Level Two code breach (throwing the ball at or near a player). Combined with previous breaches, this resulted in a two-match ban from the County Championship.
Only 11 overs were bowled on the fourth day due to rain and bad light and the match was abandoned as a draw at tea
Points: Northamptonshire 11, Kent 11Imran Qayyum made his first-class debutJL Denly's 206* in the first innings was his highest score in first-class cricket
Scorecard
492 (125.5 overs)S Thakor 130 (164)MT Coles 5/116 (34.5 overs)
Only 4 overs were possible after tea on day 2 due to rain
Points: Derbyshire 7, Kent 21JL Denly retired not out before the start of play on day 3 to be with his wife who had gone into labour with their first child, and did not return for the remainder of the matchSR Dickson's 207* in the Kent first innings was his highest score in first-class cricket
Points: Essex 24, Kent 2CF Jackson made his Kent debutSA Northeast and JC Tredwell set a new Kent first-class record for the 8th wicket, scoring 222 in the Kent second inningsJC Tredwell set a Kent record for the highest score by a number 9 batsman, and a personal high score in first-class cricket, scoring 124 in Kent's second innings
Toss uncontested, Northamptonshire elected to field
Points: Kent 4, Northamptonshire 23SW Billings replaced CF Jackson for Kent on day 3 after being released from England duty, having been selected in the squad for the Twenty20 international against Pakistan but not being chosen for the playing XI.
313/8d (74 overs)BMR Akram 100* (137)MT Coles 3/75 (18 overs)
St Lawrence Ground, CanterburyUmpires: BJ Debenham and MJ Saggers
Kent won the toss and elected to bat
Only 6.3 overs were bowled on day 2 due to rain
AP Rouse made his debut for Kent
Kent began their 2016 Royal London One-Day Cup campaign with a match against Surrey at the County Ground, Beckenham on Sunday 5 June. They played 8 games in the group stage of the competition, finishing in second place and securing a home quarter-final against Yorkshire. Kent lost the quarter-final by 11 runs, being bowled out chasing Yorkshire's score of 256.
Pos
Teamvte
Pld
W
L
T
NR
Ded
Pts
NRR
1
8
6
1
1
0
0
13
−0.087
2
8
5
3
0
0
0
10
0.587
3
8
4
2
1
1
0
10
−0.119
4
8
4
3
0
1
0
9
0.992
5
8
4
4
0
0
0
8
0.393
6
8
4
4
0
0
0
8
0.117
7
8
3
4
0
1
0
7
−0.320
8
8
2
5
0
1
0
5
−0.709
9
8
1
7
0
0
0
2
−0.679
Scorecard
County Ground, Beckenham Umpires: GD Lloyd and NA Mallender Player of the match: AJ Blake (Kent)
KC Sangakkara 58 (50)JC Tredwell 2/33 (10 overs)
AJ Blake 66* (62)SC Meaker 3/47 (7 overs)
Surrey won the toss and elected to bat
Points: Kent 2, Surrey 0
Scorecard
St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Umpires: M Burns and SJ O'Shaughnessy
SW Billings 106* (54)T van der Gugten 1/60 (8 overs)
CA Ingram 95* (53)JC Tredwell 3/55 (8 overs)
Glamorgan won the toss and elected to field
Rain delayed Kent's innings after 29.1 overs with the score on 141/3; The match was reduced to 42 overs per side, and Glamorgan's adjusted target was 293 to win
Points: Kent 0, Glamorgan 2
Scorecard
St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Umpires: JH Evans and SA Garratt
DJ Bell-Drummond 68 (51)L Gregory 3/37 (6 overs)
RE van der Merwe 29 (22)IAA Thomas 3/31 (5 overs)
Somerset won the toss and elected to field
Match reduced to 30 overs per side before play began
Points: Kent 2, Somerset 0
Scorecard
County Ground, Chelmsford Umpires: SC Gale and JW Lloyds
MT Coles 91 (52)Ashar Zaidi 3/33 (7 overs)
RS Bopara 74* (79)JC Tredwell 2/41 (8 overs)
Essex won the toss and elected to field
Essex 2 points, Kent 0
Scorecard
Lord's, St John's Wood, London Umpires: PK Baldwin and JW Lloyds
SR Dickson 99 (126)TJ Murtagh 2/28 (10 overs)
PR Stirling 112 (133)MT Coles 2/37 (7.5 overs)
Kent won the toss and elected to bat
Points: Middlesex 2, Kent 0WRS Gidman made his Kent debut
Scorecard
Ageas Bowl, Southampton Umpires: NL Bainton and JH Evans
AJA Wheater 63 (73)MT Coles 6/56 (10 overs)
JL Denly 105 (131)BTJ Wheal 4/38 (7.3 overs)
Kent won the toss and elected to field
Points: Hampshire 0, Kent 2
Scorecard
St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Umpires: RJ Bailey and SA Garratt
HJH Marshall 43 (59)WRS Gidman 3/28 (8 overs)
JL Denly 82* (124)BAC Howell 1/27 (8 overs)
Kent won the toss and elected to field
Points: Kent 2, Gloucestershire 0
Scorecard
County Ground, Hove Umpires: NA Mallender and RT Robinson
HZ Finch 54 (88)MT Coles 4/39 (9 overs)
SA Northeast 66* (77)CAL Davis 1/25 (3 overs)
Kent won the toss and elected to field
Match reduced to 43 overs per side before play began due to rain
Points: Sussex 0, Kent 2
Scorecard
St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Umpires: NA Mallender and AG Wharf
A Lyth 88 (96)MT Coles 3/39 (10 overs)
DI Stevens 54 (74)LE Plunkett 4/52 (10 overs)
Kent won the toss and elected to field
Yorkshire advanced
Kent began their t20 Blast campaign in the South Group with a match against Somerset at the St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury on Friday 20 May. They played 14 games in the group stage of the competition, winning six and failing to qualify for the knock-out stages after losing their final two matches. As well as five home matches at Canterbury, a single match was hosted at each of Beckenham and Tunbridge Wells.
Pos
Teamvte
Pld
W
L
T
NR
Ded
Pts
NRR
1
14
10
3
0
1
0
21
0.518
2
14
8
3
0
3
0
19
1.005
3
14
7
6
0
1
0
15
0.395
4
14
7
6
0
1
0
15
0.174
5
14
7
7
0
0
0
14
0.153
6
14
5
6
0
3
0
13
−0.053
7
14
6
8
0
0
0
12
−0.643
8
14
4
8
0
2
0
10
−0.691
9
14
3
10
0
1
0
7
−0.660
Scorecard
St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Umpires: NL Bainton and NJ Llong Player of the match: DJ Bell-Drummond (Kent)
J Allenby 91 (59)FK Cowdrey 3/18 (3 overs)
DJ Bell-Drummond 83* (47)RE van der Merwe 1/35 (3 overs)
Somerset won the toss and elected to bat
Points: Kent 2, Somerset 0The opening stand of 150 between DJ Bell-Drummond and JL Denly was the highest T20 partnership for any wicket for Kent
Scorecard
Ageas Bowl, Southampton Umpires: NGB Cook and RJ Evans Player of the match: Shahid Afridi (Hampshire)
MA Carberry 54 (53)MT Coles 4/27 (4 overs)
DJ Bell-Drummond 64 (51)Shahid Afridi 3/33 (4 overs)
Kent won the toss and elected to field
Points: Hampshire 2, Kent 0
Scorecard
County Ground, Beckenham Umpires: RJ Bailey and BV Taylor Player of the match: AJ Tye (Gloucestershire)
SA Northeast 35 (34)AJ Tye 3/18 (4 overs)
HJH Marshall 56 (42)DI Stevens 1/20 (2.2 overs)
Gloucestershire won the toss and elected to field
Points: Kent 0, Gloucestershire 2
Scorecard
St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Umpires: GD Lloyd and AG Wharf Player of the match: SW Billings (Kent)
JL Denly 59 (38)TL Best 2/38 (4 overs)
SM Ervine 56 (34)DA Griffiths 2/24 (4 overs)
Hampshire won the toss and elected to field
Points: Kent 2, Hampshire 0
Scorecard
County Ground, Hove Umpires: PK Baldwin and AG Wharf Player of the match: LRPL Taylor (Sussex)
SA Northeast 53 (43)TS Mills 3/15 (4 overs)
LRPL Taylor 62 (50)ME Claydon 3/25 (4 overs)
Sussex won the toss and elected to field
Points: Sussex 2, Kent 0
Scorecard
SWALEC Stadium, Cardiff Umpires: JH Evans and BV Taylor Player of the match: DL Lloyd (Glamorgan)
DL Lloyd 97* (49)ME Claydon 2/27 (3 overs)
MT Coles 31 (17)DW Steyn 4/18 (4 overs)
Kent won the toss and elected to field
Match reduced to 16 overs per side due to rain
Kent's D-L victory target was 177 runs from 16 overs
Scorecard
St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Umpires: NGB Cook and RJ Evans Player of the match: BB McCullum (Middlesex)
BB McCullum 87* (57)DI Stevens 4/31 (4 overs)
FK Cowdrey 71 (42)TS Roland-Jones 3/24 (4 overs)
Middlesex won the toss and elected to bat
Points: Kent 0, Middlesex 2
Scorecard
St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Umpires: DJ Millns and SJ O'Shaughnessy Player of the match: K Rabada (Kent)
TWM Latham 48 (34)A Shahzad 2/29 (3 overs)
LRPL Taylor 49 (32)FK Cowdrey 2/8 (2 overs)
Kent won the toss and elected to bat
Points: Kent 2, Sussex 0K Rabada made his debut for Kent in this matchThe Sussex innings was twice delayed due to the bright setting sun
Scorecard
County Ground, Chelmsford Umpires: GD Lloyd and BV Taylor Player of the match: RS Bopara (Essex)
RS Bopara 81* (43)K Rabada 1/30 (4 overs)
AJ Blake 37 (31)PI Walter 3/26 (4 overs)
Kent won the toss and elected to field
Points: Kent 0, Essex 2
Scorecard
County Ground, Taunton Umpires: RA Kettleborough and RT Robinson Player of the match: SA Northeast (Kent)
SA Northeast 75 (42)L Gregory 2/32 (4 overs)
PD Trego 63 (34)DI Stevens 3/30 (4 overs)
Kent won the toss and elected to bat
Points: Somerset 0, Kent 2
Scorecard
County Ground, Bristol Umpires: SC Gale and RT Robinson Player of the match: JL Denly (Kent)
JL Denly 51 (35)BAC Howell 3/29 (4 overs)
M Klinger 42 (31)DA Griffiths 2/22 (3 overs)
Gloucestershire won the toss and elected to field
Points: Gloucestershire 0, Kent 2
Scorecard
Nevill Ground, Tunbridge Wells Umpires: DJ Millns and PR Pollard Player of the match: DJ Bell-Drummond (Kent)
JJ Roy 52 (29)JC Tredwell 3/32 (4 overs)
DJ Bell-Drummond 112* (65)SM Curran 1/23 (3 overs)
Surrey won the toss and elected to bat
Points: Kent 2, Surrey 0The second wicket partnership of 151 between DJ Bell-Drummond and SA Northeast was the highest T20 partnership for any wicket for Kent
Scorecard
St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Umpires: PK Baldwin and JW Lloyds Player of the match: T Westley (Essex)
T Westley 74* (49)MT Coles 2/28 (4 overs)
DI Stevens 33 (25)GR Napier 3/29 (3.2 overs)
Essex won the toss and elected to bat
Points: Kent 0, Essex 2
Scorecard
The Oval, Kennington, London Umpires: PK Baldwin and PJ Hartley Player of the match: JJ Roy (Surrey)
JJ Roy 120* (62)DA Griffiths 2/47 (4 overs)
SA Northeast 59 (44)CH Morris 2/38 (4 overs)
Surrey won the toss and elected to bat
Points: Surrey 2, Kent 0
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