Royal Cup final: Darren Stevens wins silverware at 46 in preparation for potential split Kent vs Lancashire | News about cricket
Darren Stevens played a decisive role in bringing Kent to the final with 84 appearances in the semi-final against Hampshire; watch the 46-year-old as Kent face Lancashire in Saturday’s Royal Cup Final at Trent Bridge live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10:30am.
Last Updated: 09/16/22 5:04 pm
Darren Stevens could be scheduled to make a final appearance for Kent
Darren Stevens could make his final appearance for Kent when they face Lancashire in the London Royal Cup final at Trent Bridge on Saturday as he prepares to leave the club after 17 years.
The 46-year-old helped boost Kent’s path to the final by setting up 49 against Lancashire in a key group event, followed by 41 against Leicestershire in the knockout stages and 84. The result didn’t come out of 65 balls in the semi-final win over Hampshire.
Having not competed in the County Championship since May, Stevens is unsure if he will feature in the final two games of the campaign against Kent.
Kent vs Lancashire
September 17, 2022, 10:30 am
Live on 
“It’s going to be very emotional,” Stevens told Espncricinfo. “We’ve had too much time to think this week. I’ve talked about it a lot and I’ve been thinking about it more than I’m going to do.
“I’ll be a little nervous but when you get over the rope, you’re back to your job and I’ll have a clear understanding of what I’m doing, batting or bowling. It’s hard to explain. It could be. My last game for Kent, it could be my last professional match.
“Someone asked me a while ago about stepping out in Kent for a four-day game for the last time. Well, I think I’ve done it.
“But it’s like ‘say it’s the last game of the season, what would that be?’ And I said, ‘you can’t ask me that question because I can’t answer it.’ I don’t want it to stop but it could slip out of my hands.”
Stevens is expected to leave Kent in 2019 when he has not been offered a new contract at the club, just because of an extraordinary form that included an 88 knockout and a 10-stroke in the game. against Nottinghamshire in the County Championship, then the first- best of 237 against Yorkshire to earn him a new one-year deal.
The all-powerful veteran has repeatedly said he wants to take on a coaching role at Canterbury, although it appears Kent has decided against taking him on at the moment.
“I don’t want to fight anymore,” Stevens said of his departure. “I feel like for the last five years I’ve been fighting for a contract where in those three years I’ve had Player of the Year, so I don’t know how that really works.
“It’s heartbreaking and really disappointing and I’m still sore because I feel I have a lot to give to Kent cricket, on and off the pitch. But unfortunately the decision is down to the hierarchy. given.
“I’d like to think I still have the battle within me to make a few hundred and a few years fors but unfortunately I didn’t get picked for four days. That was disappointing, so I really couldn’t fight it. So yeah, it hurts. It hurts.”
Ollie Robinson led Kent with Batman with 419 runs with an strike rate of 127.20 in the competition, including 206 unbeaten in the opening game against Glamorgan, while Ben Compton amassed 380 runs with a run rate. ratio 42,22 at the beginning of the order. However, Stevens still achieved the team’s highest hit rate of 132.21 after his decisive role during Kent’s five-game winning streak to reach the final.
With the ball, Hamid Qadri became Kent’s main catcher with 14 entries to his name alongside swimmer Nathan Gilchrist’s number 11.
Lancashire reached the final thanks to a win over Sussex after Dane Vilas of the century, following Steven Croft’s 115-down in the quarter-final win over Nottingham.
Luke Wells is the team’s top scorer in the league with 339 runs averaging 37.66, with Keaton Jennings opening goal behind 318 at 45.42. Seamers Liam Hurt and Danny Lamb each have 13 wicks.
