Simon Cook will remain in charge of Kent’s Royal London One-Day Cup squad for their final - but says it’s the players who will deserve all the plaudits if they do win.

Cook has been Spitfires’ interim head coach throughout their run to Saturday’s final against Lancashire at Trent Bridge.

With The Hundred competition having finished, several key Kent players - and head coach Matt Walker - are back at The Spitfire Ground.

But Kent have confirmed the players who got them to the final will be given the opportunity to lead them to glory.

It’s the same message with regards to their coaching staff, as well, although Walker and batting coach Ryan ten Doeschate will offer Cook support.

But former bowler Cook said: “I don’t think about it so much as a coach, leading a side to glory or victory.

“It’s really about the players. It’s about their journeys and their successes. They are the ones that do it out on the field and have to take all the pressure.

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“Realistically, we, as support staff, are here to get what they need and allow them to go onto the field in the best possible shape to deliver the skills they want to deliver.

“So I don’t necessarily think about it in those terms.”

The Darren Stevens-inspired Spitfires won their semi-final against Hampshire, before they swiftly confirmed those who have missed their run to the final would miss out.

Overseas bowlers Matt Henry and Navdeep Saini are the only ones who would have come into contention but it now appears unlikely either will return this summer anyway.

Cook said: “The Hundred guys are available for this game but very early on in the campaign, I kind of put my marker in the sand, really, that if we did get to the final or the latter stages, we would stick with the players that got us through the group stages.

“The only ones that would, potentially, have come in are Navdeep Saini and Matt Henry. They were originally due to come back for the last couple of four-day games.

“They played in the group stages so would have come into contention. But as it is, they are not coming back so we’ll stick with the 15 that have been playing.”

Last season, Kent won just once in their group as they finished bottom. And 45-year-old Cook says it’s been pleasing to see how his young side have developed throughout the past 12 months having won five of their last six games this season, with the other rained off, after an indifferent start in the competition.

He said: “Yeah it's satisfying - not only as a coach but as a playing unit - to see that journey, see that development and see those players developing both individually and collectively.

“They have been developing in those roles, understanding those roles, understanding the rhythm of one-day cricket and have that belief in each other’s skills and their own skills to get over the line.

“We saw how tight a number of the group games were - the game here where Grant Stewart hit the last ball for six to win the game [against Yorkshire] and Harry Podmore [against Lancashire], with two balls to spare, getting us over the line.

“Those sorts of experiences are vital and it’s really encouraging to see the guys coming through in those 50-50s.”

One of those recent Kent victories was against Lancashire but, while the Spitfires will not be adding to their squad for the final, Lancashire looks set to go with their strongest side.

“I reckon they will strengthen their bowling, adding a spinner or possibly two,” predicted Cook.

“But for us, and we spoke about it in the dressing room, it doesn’t matter what team they play. We beat them here. There’s no fear from our point of view.

“We will play our cricket the way we want to play it and what will be will be.

“I said to the guys the final is a celebration of the journey, both individually and collectively, that they have been on, not only this year but last year as well. That’s how we need to view it.

“The hardest thing to do is get to the final - it’s actually quite easy to win a final because it’s one game - but actually the hard thing is to put a string of games and a string of performances together.

“That’s what we have to focus on. The celebration of the final, not who we are playing or the final itself.”

Kent’s Alex Blake was injured in their semi-final success but Cook expects he will be fit for the final.

He said: “It was a nasty injury, he kind of split his finger. He had stitches out on Saturday.

“He will probably hit balls from Wednesday but we are very hopeful that he will pull through.”