Kent 2026 One Day Cup Preview
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Written by Dan Clark
2025 Review:
League Position: 7th in Group B
Top Runscorer: Jaydn Denly - 358 runs
Top Bowler: Fred Klaasen - 11 wickets
Top Points Scorer: Jaydn Denly - 696 points
Kent’s white ball struggles continued, securing just two wins in their 2025 One Day Cup campaign. The first of their two wins was a glimpse into the potential of the young stars at the club, with Ben Dawkins and Jaydn Denly sharing an opening stand of 155 in a victory over Lancashire, in which Denly himself also took a wicket. Kent’s successes stayed within the Denly family, with Jaydn’s uncle Joe, the seasoned veteran, leading the way when it came to scoring runs, averaging over 40 with the bat and contributing to eight wickets also.
Dawkins also sparkled in their only other victory of the campaign, a successful chase of 247 against Northants, backed by 111 not out off just 105 balls from the former England Under 19 international. Last year’s competition acted as a true springboard for Dawkins to feature more for Kent, and he has continued to do so across all formats this season. Kent’s struggles last year did however come with the bat, only reaching 300 once in their aforementioned victory over Lancs, and they’ll be keen for this form to change heading into the new campaign.
Kent 2026 One Day Cup Preview - Banker, Wildcard & Young Gun
Kent were busy in the offseason, securing the services of Matt Milnes from Yorkshire. Milnes could prove a key acquisition for the county, having taken fifteen wickets last campaign for the White Rose, four more than any other Kent player. They also bolstered their spinning ranks, securing the signings of Jake Lintott and Bertie Foreman, who are both capable with the bat too. They will still be without Zak Crawley due to his commitments at the Hundred, but Daniel Bell-Drummond went surprisingly unsigned this year, which will be a huge boost.
Kent’s young representation in the competition will also stand in the form of talent all rounder Ekansh Singh. Singh featured alongside teammate Ben Dawkins for England Lions already this summer, and the promising nineteen year old will certainly be aiming for a big campaign. Aside from the young guns, First Class regulars Harry Finch and Chris Benjamin will share time behind the stumps, and the return of left arm quick Mikey Cohen from long term injury has been a strong lift for the group. Kent could be a possible dark horse for a deep run for the upcoming tournament this season.
Banker: Joe Denly
The veteran member of the Denly family, the ever reliable Joe signed a white ball only contract for the county he has represented for all but three seasons since 2004 and has just annouced he will be retiring at the end of the 2026 season. The now forty year old still contributes with both bat and ball in limited overs formats, and led the county in runs last season. If you looked up a picture of the word ‘reliable’ in the dictionary, there is a good chance Joe Denly’s picture would appear. Denly’s late career bowling resurgence also allows him more opportunities to score points across the game, with economical middle overs and taking wickets key to big hauls outside of just scoring runs.
Wildcard: Chris Benjamin
Benjamin has solidified his role as the leading glovesman for the county, having been preferred over Harry Finch in the County Championship this campaign, although the two may share time behind the stumps this season. The South African born keeper has seized on this opportunity, with the highlight of his campaign so far being a well made century against Lancashire in Blackpool, a game Kent would go on to win. Benjamin will be looking to build on his very respectable First Class average of 28.57 this season for Kent, and will score extra points via his dismissals with the gloves.
Young Gun: Ben Dawkins
The tall, imposing opener drew comparisons to his teammate Zak Crawley when bursting through for Kent, having made his debut against Warwickshire in last year’s competition. Dawkins finished the campaign having scored 271 runs at an average of 45.16, including his sparkling century against Northants. Dawkins has continued his fine form into this summer, with the opener averaging 34.93 in his 10 First Class matches this campaign. He has continued to be recognised internationally too, scoring an unbeaten 118 for England U19s against South Africa U19s at the beginning of July. Dawkins, simply put, is a run machine, and will truly be a ‘young gun’ for any Cricket Draft side.
Potential Starting XI:
Ben Dawkins
Daniel Bell-Drummond
Ekansh Singh
Joe Denly
Jaydn Denly
Chris Benjamin
Joey Evison
Grant Stewart
Matt Milnes
Keith Dudgeon
Matt Parkinson
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