Kent have this afternoon announced that Joe Denly will remain a Kent player until at least the end of the 2023 season.

The first man born in Canterbury to play Test cricket, Denly graduated from the Kent Cricket Academy in 2004 and has gone onto make over 400 appearances for Kent across two stints with the county, scoring over 17,000 runs in all formats.

The 35-year-old was a part of the Kent sides that won the 2007 Twenty20 Cup, as well as another Final appearance in 2008, and two One-Day Cup final appearances in 2008 and 2018.

He made his England Test debut in 2019, and has featured for his country in all formats during his career.

On extending his stay at his home county, Denly said: “I’m delighted to stay at Kent and be a part of what could really be a promising future for this group.

“We have made leaps and bounds on and off the field over the past few seasons, and I’m excited to take on the challenges that this new-found belief in ourselves will bring.”

Kent’s Director of Cricket, Paul Downton, said: “We’re delighted to see Joe put pen to paper on an extension to his already significant tenure at Kent.

“He is a model professional cricketer who sets his own high standards. Joe has become the natural leader of our batting line-up and a calming influence in the dressing room. He brought the same calmness to the England top order, particularly during the 2019 Ashes.

“Joe has a huge role to play at Kent as a proven run scorer and a mentor to our crop of talented young batsmen. I look forward to Joe being a fixture in the Kent line-up for many years to come.”