Darren Stevens was full of emotion following his historical innings against Glamorgan last week.

The 45-year-old hit 190 from 149 balls on day two of the Spitfires’ latest County Championship game in an innings which included 15 fours, 15 sixes and a record-breaking partnership with bowler Miguel Cummins.

Following the knock, Stevens paid tribute to his late father, who passed away in 2020 aged 67.

“I looked up to the old man at 100” said Stevens. “I won’t shy away from stuff like this. I miss him, we all miss him. I have a coffee with him every morning on the bench down here and he is looking down on me and he will be for a long time.

“I am extremely proud of my achievements, but the big picture is that I am doing my job, and my job is to get runs and wickets and perform. I must try and win games of cricket for Kent.”

Stevens teed off after reaching 50 just before lunch on day two, storming past 100 and then 150. 

The veteran felt Glamorgan could have done more to halt his momentum, but branded the day “good fun”.

“I have been chatting to the lads about what shots stood out” he said. “But it wasn’t about that. 

“We were in a tough situation and all I was worried about was trying to hit a boundary off the first three balls and then get off strike. I thought they did it poorly and could have brought a man in, but we got into a bit of a routine where I might have got a couple of boundaries away early and then looked to get off strike. 

“It worked quite well for quite a few overs. I thought it got us into a decent situation.

“I was thinking one side all the time. If I got it aerial and high, I thought the wind would take it. When I was batting facing Nackington Road though they were bowling wider – I played one trying to flick it to the leg side and I got dropped at slip, and then I just thought about hitting the sight screen and if they came straighter it would have been fine.”

Stevens admitted he had been carrying a hamstring injury this season, but felt he had recovered after some much-needed rest prior to the match.

The all-rounder had registered scores of 1, 0, 5, 0, 9 and 0 in his six innings prior, but admitted he now feels back to his best with bat in hand.

He said: “For me, you can bat normally and get a good ball and get out or counterattack, play a few shots, and put the pressure back on them. That is how I looked at it – I tried to use the wind as much as I could, and I tried to use that as an advantage.

“It has been tough. I have had a bit of a niggle in my left hamstring, so I have been struggling to get forward, but after the Sussex game I had a good few days off to rest it. I felt better in the nets and then felt great out there. 

“It has been frustrating getting out cheaply recently, but I think that has got me going again now.”

Stevens also paid tribute to Kent’s members, who were back in the Spitfire Ground watching live cricket for the first time since 2019.

“It was good to get bums off seats” said Stevens. “It feels like a proper game now. The last year or so has not felt the same, a bit like a pre-season game. It is good to see people coming back in and hopefully in the long run we can keep them in.

“The lads said I raise my game for the members – that the crowds come in and I show up! I have been frustrated lately, but to get 50 at lunch, I was starting to feel OK, and to get 190 is remarkable really. I am just pleased I got us into a good situation.”

Stevens also dismissed Australian batsman Marnus Labuschagne with the ball late on in the day for the second time this season, and the two seemed to exchange words as Labuschagne walked off.

“I’ll take it. We’ll leave it at that. He didn’t say anything to me” said Stevens.