Fast bowler Nathan Gilchrist has committed to Kent Cricket until at least the end of the 2024 season.

After joining the Club in August 2020, the right-arm quick has taken 63 first class wickets in only 18 LV= Insurance County Championship matches and now boasts a career first-class bowling average of just 24.82, taking a wicket on average every six overs in red-ball cricket.

Overall, he has 92 wickets in 39 matches to-date for the county.

The 22-year-old broke into Kent’s first-class and List A sides during 2021, collecting his maiden five-wicket hauls in both forms of the game as a Kent player, including an impressive 5-38 against Worcestershire in the LV= Insurance County Championship.

A member of Kent Spitfires’ 2022 One-Day Cup winning squad, Gilchrist took three wickets in the final against Lancashire at Trent Bridge to help Kent to their first List A trophy since 1978, before taking 4-60 in Kent’s next match, a Championship clash at Hampshire, and then a new first-class career best of 6-61 against Somerset in Kent’s final Championship match of the season at Canterbury.

His form during the 2022 season was recognised with an England Lions call-up in their upcoming tour Sri Lanka at the end of January, as well as being named Kent’s Men’s Young Player of the Year and Bowler of the Year at the 2022 Spitfire Kent Cricket Awards.

On signing an extension to his Kent contract, Gilchrist said: “I’m a hungry young bowler always looking to improve and I’m extremely grateful to Kent for the opportunity to develop as a cricketer over the past couple of years.

“I’ve relished being given the ball during important spells of the game and I feel like I’m beginning to know my game a bit better. This season will be all about improving further and hopefully establishing myself across all three formats.”

Kent’s Director of Cricket, Paul Downton, said: “Nathan has made a significant impact since making his debut for Kent and over the last two seasons he has become an integral part of our bowling attack in the County Championship and had an excellent 50-over campaign last summer.

“He came to Kent with a huge amount of potential and through his hard work and ambition Nathan has very quickly become one of the country’s most promising young fast bowlers.

“Nathan’s strike rate is right up there with the best and, with his dedication and the help of bowling coach Simon Cook, his ceiling is very high. We look forward to Nathan taking wickets for Kent for many years to come.”