Kent captain Robert Key has praised departing seamer Simon Cook for all his hard work both on and off the pitch over the past seven years.

Cook signed from Middlesex in the winter of 2004, making his debut for the club the following summer and last week the 35 year old captained the Second XI as they won the County Championship against Leicestershire at Grace Road.

Nicknamed “Chef”, Cook played his last senior game for Kent as they bowed out of the Clydesdale Bank 40 over competition against Sussex at Canterbury on August 27th.

The seamer had also forced his way back into the reckoning for First class cricket this season and was part of the side that played the washout against Gloucestershire at Bristol last month.

An understated kind of guy, Cook went about his business both on and off the pitch with a calm attitude towards things and it was that characteristic that lead Kent skipper Rob Key to heap praise on the seamer:

“Cookie has always been an understated part of our side. He’s gone about his business quietly and he’s been brilliant for our club. For the vast majority of his career, him and James Tredwell were the main reason for our success in Twenty 20 when we were at our best, even though we had the likes of Justin Kemp and Martin van Jaarsveld who probably took the billing at times.”

“Simon Cook was probably on the under card, but churned them out day in, day out, especially in that form of the game and without him I don’t think we would have won that trophy.”

“He’s also been brilliant for what he has given the side away from the cricket and people won’t really have seen what he has done off the field.”

“It’s a shame that he doesn’t get to bow out at Canterbury, but it’s brilliant that he got to do it as captain of the second team and win that Championship.”

“I can’t really say enough about what it’s been like to play with him, because he has been a fantastic member of our side and one of the best I’ve ever played with.”

Cook is now expected to look to go into a coaching role within cricket and it’s his personality that made Key believe he will be a success:

“Cookie was the kind of guy that if he took a five for, would be embarrassed if you said well done to him. He always wanted to go about his business and do it quietly and he did it time and time again.”

“In a period where we were strong, he was the mainstay of our One Day bowling attack. You could always rely on him to bowl ten overs without alarm and one year I think he was the leading wicket taker when we won the Twenty 20 and he made my life a hell of a lot easier having him in the side as a bowler.”

“He’s had a good career and he deserves a lot of credit and for me wherever he ends up, he will be successful in what he does as he is that kind of guy.”

In a first-class career spanning 13 years and 141 matches, Cook took 342 wickets at an average of 32.14. He also scored 2,577 useful lower order runs including 7 fifties.

Cook was awarded his county cap at Kent in 2007, the year he also took a leading role in Kent’s successful Twenty20 Cup campaign. Always maintaining a good line and length, his economy rate of 7.52 complimented a strike rate of 18.01 at a very respectable average of 22.57.

Picture supplied by Sarah Ansell. To see more of Sarah’s pictures, visit www.sarahcanterbury.com