Kent opener Ben Compton has been named as Kent Men’s Club Player of the Year by the Club’s Members and supporters at the 2025 Spitfire Kent Cricket End of Season Dinner, held at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence on Tuesday night.
Kent’s Men’s & Women’s squads, coaches, staff, partners and those lucky enough to have purchased tickets gathered together at the MADE AV Harris Suite to look back on the 2025 season and say goodbye to those on and off the field that will be leaving the Club this Winter.
Compton, who was awarded Kent Men’s Cap no. 223 during Canterbury Cricket Week and signed a new three-year contract this past June, was the second highest run-scorer in Rothesay County Championship Division Two this Summer, and recorded a new first-class best score of 221 against Leicestershire in July.
Isabella James was named Women’s Club Player of the Year after taking 22 wickets at 25.54 in her debut season with the Horses, after joining the Club from Cambridgeshire last Winter.
Adding to his second Men’s Club Player of the Year accolade, Compton also picked up the Men’s Batter of the Year award for the second time alongside a second Men’s Players’ Player of the Year award as voted for by his teammates.
Matt Parkinson was named Men’s Bowler of the Year after 58 wickets in 28 all-format appearances for the county this Summer, including new career T20 best figures of 5-23 against Essex in the Vitality Blast back in June and seven County Championship wickets in an innings against Leicestershire in July.
Jack Leaning picked up the Men’s Fielder of the Year award, and Men’s Moment of the Year went to Harry Finch, whose nine sixes in thirteen balls against Norfolk in the National County Match at Sprowston CC and his continued development in T20 cricket earned him the accolade for the first time.
Tawanda Muyeye was named as the Spitfire White Ball Player of the Year after a Vitality Blast campaign that saw the right-hander, who also signed a two-year contract extension this Summer, score his first Vitality Blast century against Essex at Chelmsford, finishing the tournament as the sixth highest run-scorer with 516 in 15 innings.
Jaydn Denly won his first Men’s Young Player of the Year award after 686 runs and 14 wickets in 18 appearances across first-class and List A cricket this season.
For Kent Women, Isabella James picked up the Women’s Bowler of the Year award alongside her Women’s Club Player of the Year accolade, whilst 22-year-old Elsa Barnfather was named as Women’s Batter of the Year, Women’s Young Player of the Year and Women’s Players’ Player of the Year in her first Summer as a Kent Women player.
Ella Darlington was named Women’s Fielder of the Year, and Amy Gordon’s 111 not out against Derbyshire in the Women’s Metro Bank One Day Cup was the standout choice for Women’s Moment of the Year.
2025 Spitfire Kent Cricket End of Season Awards winners in full:
Men’s awards:
- Club Player of the Year: Ben Compton
- Players’ Player of the Year: Ben Compton
- Young Player of the Year: Jaydn Denly
- Batter of the Year: Ben Compton
- Bowler of the Year: Matt Parkinson
- Fielder of the Year: Jack Leaning
- Spitfire White Ball Player of the Year: Tawanda Muyeye
- Moment of the Year: Harry Finch’s nine sixes in 13 balls vs. Norfolk and his continued improvement in T20 cricket
Women’s awards:
- Club Player of the Year: Isabella James
- Players’ Player of the Year: Elsa Barnfather
- Young Player of the Year: Elsa Barnfather
- Batter of the Year: Elsa Barnfather
- Bowler of the Year: Isabella James
- Fielder of the Year: Ella Darlington
- Moment of the Year: Amy Gordon’s 111 not out vs. Derbyshire Women in the Women’s Metro Bank One Day Cup
Picture supplied by Kent Cricket.