Kent bowler Nathan Gilchrist has been ruled out of the remainder of their County Championship game with Sussex due to Covid.

The 21 year old took 2/24 in Sussex’s 1st innings at Canterbury on Sunday, coming into the side after the entire T20 squad were forced to self-isolate after one of the players returned a positive Covid test.

Gilchrist’s period of self isolation is completely unrelated and the club have confirmed his absence from the remainder of this current game and who would therefore be replacing him.

A statement from the club reads:

“The Club can confirm that Nathan Gilchrist has been contacted by NHS Test & Trace and advised to observe a period of self-isolation.”

“He has tested negative for COVID-19 with a lateral flow test and is symptom-free, but will now to isolate for ten days in-line with NHS Guidelines.”

“Tunbridge Wells based right-arm paceman Bailey Wightman, who has played four matches for Kent Second XI this season and taken six wickets, will replace Gilchrist in Kent’s current LV= Insurance County Championship match with Sussex.”

Kent CEO, Simon Storey, said: “Nathan was not with the Vitality Blast squad on Friday and we believe this is totally unrelated incident.”

“The Club has full safety protocols in place that covers players, staff and spectators. However, the increase in cases across the community means that even the most stringent COVID-19 Codes of Conduct cannot completely remove all risk of Test & Trace incidents of this nature.”

Picture supplied by Kent Cricket.