Veteran allrounder Darren Stevens has signed a new one year contract at Kent Cricket Club, a deal that will take his professional career past his 45th birthday.

Stevens, who joined Kent in 2005, has been in brilliant form with the ball in this year’s Bob Willis Trophy competition, taking 20 wickets, including successive five-wicket hauls against Sussex and Middlesex, at an average of 19.

He was due to leave Kent at the end of the 2019 season, but signed a new contract and his fine performances this year have helped him earn another new deal.

Against Middlesex, Stevens passed 800 career wickets in all formats of the game – since he signed for Kent, he has claimed 796 scalps at 25.97, and also scored 20,860 runs at an average of 34.88.

His best first-class score with he bat came in 2019, when he smashed 237 runs from 225 balls against Yorkshire at Emerald Headingly in a 433 run win.

Though not part of the T20 Blast side this year, Stevens was a vital member of the club’s 2007 victory in the same tournament, scoring the winning runs in the final. He has also achieved promotion from Division Two of the County Championship three times and reached the final of the One Day Cup once with the county.

On his new deal, Stevens said: “I am thrilled to commit another year to Kent. I love playing for this county and it is no secret that I did not want this shortened season to be the way I finished up. I am delighted that my recent form has shown I still have a lot left to give to the club.

“I am feeling great at the moment and really driven. We have a great squad here at Kent, and it is definitely an exciting place to be.

“I would also like to thank the members and supporters for their continued support. We have definitely missed them at the ground this year and I look forward to being able to play in front of them again as soon as possible.”

Kent Director of Cricket Paul Downton added: “Darren has once again shown himself to be one of our most effective bowlers in first-class cricket this season.

“He has played in all four Bob Willis Trophy matches and proved to us that he is still an integral part of our bowling attack with the red ball.

“His wealth of experience is also invaluable as we continue to build a team capable of winning trophies.”