Daniel Bell-Drummond is hoping to put his experiences from a winter spent with the England Lions to good use for Kent in the coming season.

The opening batsman enjoyed a mixed season for Kent in 2015. As one of three players to feature in all 16 of the county’s Championship games, Bell-Drummond scored 767 runs, including two centuries. He then topped the club’s averages in 50-over cricket, averaging 54.40, and chipped in with nearly 350 more runs in Kent’s NatWest t20 Blast campaign.

Undoubtedly his standout performance of the campaign came against the touring Australians, when following a first innings duck, the Lewisham-born batsman smashed a stunning 92-ball century, flaying Mitchell Johnson, Ryan Harris, Peter Siddle and co. to all parts, eventually making 127 from just 112 balls.

His impressive limited overs form attracted international attention, and saw him included in the England Lions squad for their tour of the UAE, where they came up against Pakistan A and a UAE XI in a number of 20 and 50-over encounters.

“It was a really good experience”, Bell-Drummond told KSN on his return to the UK.

“Obviously you have quality coaches, quality facilities for training, and Pakistan were a good test as well, so I think it was a pretty positive winter, and one I really enjoyed.”

Though the 22-year-old struggled to make a real impact with the bat during the tour, he was confident that he could put what he had learned over the winter into practice for Kent in the coming season.

“Although the pressure is a lot, and you’re playing for the England Lions, there wasn’t that much of a step up from county standard”, Bell-Drummond said.

“Of course, it’s better, but the same basics still apply. I’m looking forward to the season coming, and hopefully I can put some runs on the board for Kent. I’m pretty content that I can get used to that level and succeed.

“Obviously I want to score runs and I’m disappointed if I don’t, but at the same time, the whole experience was good. I’m learning a hell of a lot, and I just think what will be, will be. I’ve trained hard, and I gave it my all.

“I’d have liked to score more runs, but the bigger picture remains that my game is improving and I’m going to be ready for the season coming up.”

After a couple of weeks off following his return to England, Bell-Drummond is back in training at Canterbury this week, and is keen to get back into the nets and prepare for the upcoming campaign.

His pre-season preparations will also give him the opportunity to reacclimatise himself to early season English conditions; an alien world from the dusty, spinning pitches of the sub-continent that he has been playing on all winter.

“I’ve had two weeks off, and I’m looking forward to getting back into it, and getting training again”, he said.

“Once I’ve had a few nets, and the whole of pre-season, that’ll be enough to get me back accustomed to these wickets. It always takes a couple of sessions, or a game or two, to get used to the different conditions, but once you’ve got your mind set on how the pitches are playing, the basics still apply.

“The first net or two might be a bit different, but other than that, it won’t be massive. I’ve grown up playing in England and opening the batting, so I’m accustomed to the green seamers you’re going to get in April time.”