Kent open their Championship season against old rivals Somerset at the Spitfire Ground on Friday with a renewed sense of optimism and with a new four-day skipper – Daniel Bell-Drummond. 

“It’s a brilliant feeling and an honour to captain my home county,” the new skipper told KSN ahead of the season opener against Somerset.

“It’s something that I’ve dreamed about, but my main focus before and still is scoring my runs, but it is a dream come true!” 

“I’ve done it before,” he said when asked about that first coin toss of the season.

“It is a new feeling being official Club captain – I have tried to play it down in my head, but even at the media day it was a very different feeling, being in press conferences and the like.”

“I am trying not to get ahead of myself and as I have always insisted, runs are my main currency, but it will be a proud moment for me and my family when, touch wood, I will be leading the team out there and being ready for Friday.” 

“It is a massive achievement to be appointed skipper as when you’re in the dressing room you are with the guys next to you – your team-mates – and you are not really thinking about it, but when you step out of that bubble and the meaning of it… it’s massive!”

“I know that I have made a lot of people proud, but it is only the start and hopefully I can be a successful captain and at the end of the day I am a Kent man through and through.” 

We then asked Bell-Drummond if things would change between DBD “just” the opener and DBD the captain; smiling he said, “Yes and no. Being captain you’re in charge and accountable and the team are looking to me, but I’m going to be the same DBD, the same Daniel that I have always been, because that’s why I’ve been appointed and there’s no time to change now.”

“I have a lot of experience at this level, and I think that the guys respect me, and it is up to me to keep that going, to make sure that I get the best out of the team as much as possible. I am not going to change too much, but obviously I am in charge and have to make decisions and no doubt I will do that.” 

DBD is also a main part of the Kent Spitfires T20 side, and we asked him about how it would be from being captain to being under Sam Billings in the shorter format.

“We’re going to find out,” he joked, adding, “When I have done it in the past under Sam, I have loved both sides. When I was Vice Captain when Sam was in the IPL, I locked in and enjoyed the role and I accept the question that to step away and be one of the players again might be tricky, but I think that I am quite a thoughtful person, enjoy my own company and I’ll be more than happy to switch off when Sam is in charge come the T20s.”

“I care about my runs first and foremost and that’s the best way I can help win Kent games.” 

The conversation then moved to having a settled opening partner given that Zak Crawley could potentially feature in Kent’s first seven Championship games.

“It’s always good to have your England players back,” the skipper admitted.

“It is a no brainer as you always want to play your best players, but it can be difficult conversations with guys who are in and out.”

“But all of our goals are to play for your country, and you will never turn your nose up and players coming back (from international duty), especially someone with the qualities of Zak.”

“The fixture list this year does allow us to have him for an extended period of time – the person it’ll help most is Zak as I know that he enjoys playing for Kent and I’m sure he can show us his best form as he’s done in the past and last year with a couple of hundreds against Essex and Notts – unbelievable hundreds – and hopefully he can do that again this year,” DBD continued.

“It is weird as I was a senior player as he was coming through the Academy – it has been great to see his growth and his transition into – in my opinion – a world class opener.”

“It has been brilliant; he’s a lovely guy and we get on so well, he’s very sure of himself and very confident, and I mean that in the biggest, positive way!”

“He’s humble, but he knows what he wants and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a mentally tougher player than him – he’s been through some struggles in the past and hasn’t wavered as a character in the way that he’s come back to fight the next day and put his best foot forward and I’m so grateful to see him putting up the numbers he is for England.”