Kent Cricket have announced that Spitfires legend Joe Denly has signed a one-year contract extension with the Club.

Although still available for selection across all formats if required, the 39-year-old’s playing commitments for 2026 will focus on the Vitality Blast.

Canterbury-born Denly is Kent’s highest T20 run-scorer in history, with 4,985 runs in 185 matches (also Kent’s T20 appearance record) to-date, including five centuries. He is also the second highest run-scorer in the history of the Vitality Blast itself.

In 2018, he became the first male cricketer in history to score a century and take a hat-trick in the same T20 match, against Surrey at the Kia Oval.

He also helped set a then-world record opening T20 partnership with Daniel Bell-Drummond of 207 against Essex in 2017.

The right-hander’s new deal will also see him take on a batting mentorship role alongside Assistant Coach Jaahid Ali, and will work with Kent batting talent from Pathway to first-team level alongside his playing commitments.

On extending his Kent contract, Denly said: “I still feel like I have a lot to give on the field, and we’re shaping up nicely going into 2026.

“I feel very proud that I’m now going into my 20th season at Kent – I still feel like one of the young ones!

“I care a lot about the health of the Kent Talent Pathway and I hope that I can pass on as much to the next generation as I can.”

Kent’s Director of Cricket, Simon Cook, said: “Joe’s longevity shows that he will go down as one of the greats of Kent Cricket, and he still has plenty to offer for us on the field going into 2026.

“Whilst he remains a big part of our Vitality Blast squad, there needs to be a clear path of progression for the next generation of Kent players – the Metro Bank One Day Cup gives us opportunity to give Academy players first-team experience, and we’ve also seen our young batters kick-on nicely in the Rothesay County Championship this Summer, too.

“Joe’s vast batting knowledge in all formats of the game will no doubt be of extreme value to these players as they continue to develop next Summer and beyond.”