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800 career wickets for Stevens
800 career wickets for Stevens

Darren Stevens picked up his 800th career wicket on Sunday in Kent’s Bob Willis Trophy match against Middlesex, and, speaking at the end of day two, he was proud to reach the milestone.

“Sore” he joked, when asked how he felt reaching the milestone.

“If somebody had told me at the start of my career that I would get 800 poles, even 500 poles, I would have snapped their hand off. It is an achievement; I am very proud of it and very pleased that people let me get them out.”

After picking up one more scalp on day two and three more on day three, meaning he now has 28 first-class five-fors, Stevens has 530 first-class wickets, 160 List A wickets and 114 T20 wickets to his name.

He was due to leave Kent last season, but signed a new deal, and he has now achieved the feat with a club he has been at for over 15 years.

“I would be happy with one more wicket” he joked. “But who knows? I am not a big fan of putting numbers on.”

Stevens is the only seamer in Kent’s attack that has played all three Bob Willis Trophy games so far, with the county opting to rotate the rest to give them a break after a limited pre-season.

He himself, though, insists he is feeling fine, and wants to play all five games.

“I am good” he said.

“They asked me the other day how I was doing. It takes a few games to feel a bit sore and niggly but after the third and fourth you do not feel your body, you just get through it.

“I am good, I am strong, you have your niggles and you get through them however you can.

“I want to play all five. How about the 10 T20s mate?”

Kent bowled Middlesex out for 269 on day three before closing on 146/5 themselves.

Because of a rain impacted second to days, it will be hard for either side to force a result, but Stevens was pleased with Kent’s bowling efforts.

“At the start of the year we said we wanted to keep out run rates down and apply pressure because we are not that express team that is going to blow people away” he said.

“So, we said we would do it by pressure and I think over the last few weeks we have done that nicely. If you win the toss in conditions this, when it is overcast, a bit muggy, swinging, a bit dam in the feet, you get people saying it is perfect conditions for you bowlers and you should bowl them out for under 100, and the pressure goes back on you.

“You cannot do anything about the weather, it is around. We just tried to do what our plans are and stick to them.”


 
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