Kent Cricket this afternoon announced that wicketkeeper-batter Ben Dawkins has signed his first contract with the Club, which will run until at least the end of the 2027 season.

The 18-year-old has signed a two-year rookie contract after graduating from the Kent Cricket Academy, having been a part of Kent Cricket’s Talent Pathway since Under-12 level.

He has been featuring for Kent’s Second XI since the 2023 season, and has played 20 times so far, including a score of 48 opening the batting against Zimbabwe A in a 50-Over match at The County Ground, Beckenham in July last year and 108 not out from just 52 deliveries against Essex Second XI in a Second XI T20 this May.

Dawkins also scored 93 from 89 deliveries for England Young Lions against Sri Lanka in a one-day match back in June last Summer, and scored 60 or more runs in each of England Under-19s’ last three Youth ODI matches against India Under-19s this month.

He made an appearance for a full Kent side in Kent Spitfires’ National County Match against Bedfordshire last year, which did not hold List A status, and has also recently been training with the Men’s first-team squad, even taking a catch as sub fielder in Kent Spitfires’ win over Sussex Sharks at Hove this past week.

He will now be available to play for Kent in competitive first-team matches, including the Metro Bank One Day Cup, which begins next month.

He has also been added to Kent Spitfires’ squad to take on Somerset in the Vitality Blast this evening.

Kent’s Director of Cricket, Simon Cook, said: “Ben is a bright young talent having progressed through our Talent Pathway programme and we’re excited that he can now make the step up to first-team cricket.

“This is just the start for Ben, and we hope that his impressive performances at international representative level will help him kick-on in his development as he makes the transition into our first team.”