Kent County Cricket Club is one of the eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales. It represents the historic county of Kent. A club representing the county was first founded in 1842 but Kent teams have played top-class cricket since the early 18th century, and the club has always held first-class status. The current Kent County Cricket Club was formed on 6 December 1870 following the merger of two representative teams. Kent have competed in the County Championship since the official start of the competition in 1890 and have played in every top-level domestic cricket competition in England. The club's limited overs team is called the Kent Spitfires after the Supermarine Spitfire.
Alexander Peter Richard Gidman is an English cricket coach and former cricketer. He was a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-pace bowler who played for Gloucestershire and Worcestershire.
Michael Howard Yardy is an English cricket coach and former professional cricketer who played limited over internationals for the England cricket team between 2006 and 2015. He played as a left-handed batsman and captained Sussex County Cricket Club. His unusual batting technique attracted a great deal of attention due to a pronounced shuffle from leg to off immediately prior to the bowler releasing the ball. Yardy also bowled slow left arm with a characteristic round armed action, and was used as a bowling all-rounder in England's One Day International and Twenty20 International teams. Yardy retired from professional cricket at the end of the 2015 season. Yardy was a member of the England team that won the 2010 ICC World Twenty20.
David Andrew Griffiths is an English former cricketer who played at first-class level for Hampshire and Kent County Cricket Clubs in a professional playing career which spanned from 2006 to 2016. Playing as a right-arm fast bowler, he took over 100 wickets in first-class cricket.
Robert Hartman Joseph is an Antiguan-born English cricket coach and former professional cricketer.
Steven Kirby is an English retired first-class cricketer, and more recently a cricket coach. Kirby played for Yorkshire, Gloucestershire and Somerset, before retiring from playing in 2014. In 2020, he rejoined Somerset as their bowling coach.
William Robert Simon Gidman is an English former professional cricketer who most recently played for Kent County Cricket Club as an all-rounder. He previously played county cricket for Durham, Gloucestershire and Nottinghamshire and spent a period on loan at Kent towards the end of the 2016 season before joining the club permanently in October 2016.
Samuel William Billings is an English professional cricketer. Billings is a right-handed batsman who fields as a wicket-keeper. He was born at Pembury in Kent and has played for Kent County Cricket Club sides since he was eight years old, making his senior debut for the First XI in 2011. In October 2017 he was appointed as the vice-captain of the team before being appointed as captain in January 2018, replacing Sam Northeast. He served as the club's captain until the end of the 2023 season when he resigned, although he retained the captaincy of the club's Twenty20 cricket side.
In 2014, Kent County Cricket Club competed in Division Two of the County Championship, Group B of the 50-over Royal London One-Day Cup and the South Group of the NatWest t20 Blast. Kent also hosted a first-class match at the St Lawrence Ground against Loughborough MCCU at the start of the season. It was the third season in charge for head coach Jimmy Adams. The club captain was former England batsmen Rob Key, who resumed the captaincy after James Tredwell had spent one season in the role. Australia bowler Doug Bollinger signed for the club for the 2014 season. Other new additions to the squad included fast bowlers Mitchell Claydon – who had a load spell with Kent in 2013 – from Durham, David Griffiths from Hampshire and former Kent player Robbie Joseph.
In 2013, Kent County Cricket Club competed in Division Two of the County Championship, Group A of the 40-over Yorkshire Bank 40 and the South Group of the Friends Life t20. Kent also hosted a first-class match at the St Lawrence Ground against Cardiff MCCU at the start of the season and a T20 match against the touring New Zealanders in June. It was the second season in charge for head coach Jimmy Adams. The club captain was England spinner James Tredwell, taking over from Rob Key who had been club captain since 2006. Brendan Nash registered as a Kolpak player, ending his West Indies international career, which allowed Kent to sign another overseas player. South African fast bowler Vernon Philander filled this role, although he was only with the club for a short spell in July. Another new addition to the squad was 22-year-old Calum Haggett from Somerset. Shortly before the end of the season, Kent signed two young fast bowlers: Charlie Hartley and Matt Hunn. In addition, Mitchell Claydon joined on loan from Durham on 11 June initially for one month, but this was extended for a second month.
In 2016, Kent County Cricket Club competed in Division Two of the County Championship, the Royal London One-Day Cup and the NatWest t20 Blast. The season was the fifth, and last, in charge for head coach Jimmy Adams and the first for new club captain Sam Northeast, who took over from Robert Key at the end of the 2015 season, having captained the side on the field for much of the season.
In 2017, Kent County Cricket Club competed in Division Two of the County Championship, the Royal London One-Day Cup and the NatWest t20 Blast. In addition, before the start of the English cricket season, Kent competed in the 2016–17 Regional Super50, the List A competition of the West Indian domestic season. This was the first time that any English county had competed in an overseas domestic competition. The invitation to take part in the tournament was largely due to the influence of former West Indian captain Jimmy Adams who had been Kent's Head Coach until September 2016.
In 2011, Kent County Cricket Club competed in Division Two of the County Championship, Group A of the 40-over Clydesdale Bank 40 and the South Group of the Friends Life t20. Kent also hosted a Twenty20 match at the St Lawrence Ground against the touring Indians, and a three-day first-class MCC Universities match against Loughborough MCCU, also at the St Lawrence Ground. It was the second and final season in charge for Director of Cricket Paul Farbrace. The club captain was former England batsman Rob Key who had been club captain since 2006. Pakistan fast bowler Wahab Riaz joined Kent as their overseas player in June, and another fast bowler, South African Charl Langeveldt, signed as Kent's second overseas player for the Friends Life t20 competition only.
In 2010, Kent County Cricket Club competed in Division One of the County Championship, Group C of the 40-over Clydesdale Bank 40 and the South Group of the Friends Provident t20. Kent also hosted three-day first-class matches at the St Lawrence Ground against Loughborough MCCU and the touring Pakistanis. It was the first season in charge for Director of Cricket Paul Farbrace. The club captain was former England batsman Rob Key who had been club captain since 2006. Kent's overseas players were South African fast bowler Makhaya Ntini until late May, and Sri Lankan leg-spinner Malinga Bandara for the rest of the season.
In 2018, Kent County Cricket Club competed in Division Two of the County Championship, the Royal London One-Day Cup and the 2018 t20 Blast. The county finished second in Division Two of the Championship and were promoted to Division One for the 2019 season. They reached the final of the One-Day Cup. losing to Hampshire at Lord's, and the quarter-final stage of the t20 Blast. In addition, before the start of the English cricket season, Kent competed in the 2017–18 Regional Super50, the List A competition of the West Indies domestic season, reaching the semi-final stage. This was the second time that Kent have competed in the competition, having played in the 2016–17 competition.
In 2019 Kent County Cricket Club competed in Division One of the County Championship after gaining promotion in the 2018 season, the Royal London One-Day Cup and the 2019 t20 Blast.
In 2020 Kent County Cricket Club were scheduled to compete in Division One of the County Championship, the Royal London One-Day Cup and the 2020 t20 Blast. However, the season was heavily disrupted by the global COVID-19 pandemic, with no county cricket fixtures played until August. For the shortened season, the majority of counties voted on 7 July to play first-class and Twenty20 cricket, with the Royal London One-Day Cup being cancelled. Instead of the County Championship this year, the 18 first-class counties competed for the 2020 Bob Willis Trophy, which consisted of three regional groups of six teams and a final at Lord's.
In 2021 Kent County Cricket Club competed in the 2021 County Championship, the 2021 One-Day Cup and the 2021 T20 Blast. The season was the fifth in charge for head coach, and former player, Matthew Walker. Sam Billings retained the club captaincy that he was first awarded in 2018. Daniel Bell-Drummond was named as vice-captain, replacing Joe Denly. Jack Leaning was named as captain for the One-Day Cup.
In 2022, Kent County Cricket Club competed in the 2022 County Championship, the 2022 One-Day Cup and the 2022 T20 Blast. The season was the sixth in charge for head coach, and former player, Matthew Walker. Sam Billings retained the club captaincy that he was first awarded in 2018. Daniel Bell-Drummond and Jack Leaning was named as vice-captains for limited overs and first-class matches, respectively.
In 2023, Kent County Cricket Club competed in the 2023 County Championship, the 2023 One-Day Cup and the 2023 T20 Blast. The season was the seventh in charge for head coach, and former player, Matthew Walker. Sam Billings retained the club captaincy that he was first awarded in 2018. In June 2023, Billings stepped down as captain in the County Championship for the remainder of the season after a run of poor form in the format, with Jack Leaning taking over the captaincy. Ryan ten Doeschate left his position as batting coach after a single season with Kent, to take up a role with the Kolkata Knight Riders. Former Worcestershire head coach Alex Gidman joined Kent as a replacement for ten Doeschate.
Matthew Walker 
