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Sport

Kent's Darren Stevens and Sam Billings share record-breaking partnership on incredible day one against Yorkshire

By: Cameron Hogwood

Published: 17:15, 16 September 2019

Updated: 17:40, 16 September 2019

Darren Stevens hit a personal first-class best of 237 on an extraordinary day one of Kent's penultimate Division 1 clash of the season at Yorkshire.

The 43-year-old surpassed his previous best of 208 against Glamorgan in 2005 during a record-breaking partnership with skipper Sam Billings.

Stevens and Billings, who reached his century in 157 balls, put on 346 between them to set the highest sixth-wicket partnership in Kent's history, beating the 315 put up by Aravinda de Silva and Mark Ealham against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in 1995.

Kent's Darren Stevens. Picture: Keith Gillard

Besides marking the highest stand in Specsavers Division 1 this season, their 346 also became the highest ever sixth-wicket partnership at Headingley.

The pair led an emphatic recovery after Kent had slumped to 8-3 and then 39-5 to put their side in a commanding position.

It was Stevens' first hundred since May 2017, while Billings hit his second in as many games following last week's victory over Notts.

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Incredibly, Stevens, dropped on 149 and 156, is now also the oldest player to hit a first-class double century since Walter Keeton in 1949.

His remarkable effort included 28 fours and nine sixes before he was finally caught in the deep by Matthew Revis off the bowling of New Zealand Test spinner Ajaz Patel.

Read more: All the latest Kent sport news

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