Kent Cricket have announced that Daniel Bell-Drummond has signed a contract extension until at least the end of the 2023 season.
The Lewisham-born batsman who also bowls occasional right-arm medium pace joined Kent Cricket as a seven year old, before being awarded his first professional contract as a Kent player in 2010.
Since his debut in 2011 against Loughborough MCCU, Bell-Drummond has scored 11,694 runs for Kent across all formats in 291 matches to date, averaging 33.79.
In 2020, the 27-year-old was the top scorer of the Vitality Blast, amassing 423 runs in 11 matches at 42.30 with a strike rate of 154.94. Whilst Club captain Sam Billings was away on international duties with England, Bell-Drummond captained the Kent Spitfires in eight matches, winning five.
At the 2020 Spitfire Cricket Awards after another outstanding year with the bat, the right-hander was named as Kent Cricket’s Batsman of the Year, as well as Spitfire One-Day Player of the Year.
He then went on to help Sri Lankan T20 Franchise, Colombo Kings, to a Lanka Premier League semi-final berth in the inaugural Lanka Premier League this Winter, top-scoring with 70 runs in a losing effort one step away from contesting for silverware in the final.
On extending his Kent contract, Bell-Drummond said: “I have been playing for Kent in some shape or form for 20 years now, and it’s an extremely exciting time to be a part of this talented Kent squad.
“The decision to extend my stay at my home county was an easy one – everyone in the dressing room knows that with more hard work and dedication, silverware isn’t a far-off prospect for us.”
Kent’s Director of Cricket, Paul Downton, said: “Daniel has been an integral part of Kent Cricket’s first team for ten years now, despite only being 27 years of age.
“He is a hugely talented batsman who was our leading run-scorer in the Championship in 2019 and the country’s leading run-scorer in the Vitality Blast in 2020 .
“We are delighted that DBD has committed himself to the Club on a long term contract as we look ahead to the 2021 season.”