It has been another superb summer for Kent’s Daniel Bell-Drummond – one he ranks as his best yet.

The 30-year-old again received plenty of plaudits this term. He was included in the PCA team-of-the-year and claimed five gongs at Kent’s end-of-season awards - players’ player-of-the-year, player-of-the-year, batsman-of-the-year, white-ball player-of-the-year and moment-of-the-year for his triple ton at Northamptonshire.

“I’ve had a great season personally,” reflected Bell-Drummond, speaking before he was named Kent’s new captain yesterday.

“It’s probably been my best season as a professional sportsman so I’m very happy with that.

“I was glad I could do it in all three forms and very happy that I could play 50-over cricket. That’s probably my favourite format, to be honest.

“I’m very happy.”

Others to make the PCA team-of-the-year were former Kent overseas bowler Matt Henry, this year with Somerset, Essex’s Simon Harmer, Surrey seam bowler Dan Worrall, Durham’s Alex Lees and Hampshire captain James Vince.

Bell-Drummond, who was with London Spirit for The Hundred competition but ended up not making their side and playing for Spitfires in the 50-over competition, said: “I’d have liked a few more runs in the Championship but the triple hundred was a great day and a great game for me.

“I’ve worked very hard, I’ll continue to work hard, and it’s great that it ended up bearing fruit this year.

“I’m in my prime. I think I’m the best I’ve been as a cricketer. I want to keep improving and I’ll try my best to keep doing that.”

Bell-Drummond’s sizzling June form saw him score a staggering 867 runs at 86.70.

“It was amazing,” he enthused.

“I was nervous before every game - like normal - but I just felt in brilliant form and I was glad I could capitalise on that.

“I found my rhythm in the T20s, that Hampshire game here when I got 89. From there, I didn’t look back.

“I was very happy with how I was playing. It was a tricky start for me and the team in general in the Blast but, once I got going, I was just grateful that I could keep that form.”

There were red-ball matches, too, in between the block of group-stage T20 games.

Captaincy calls made by Kent

But Bell-Drummond seemingly seamlessly continued his red-hot form from the shortest format of the game into the longest despite Kent having a difficult campaign as a side, narrowly avoiding relegation while they failed to make the knockout stages in either white-ball competition.

Bill Ashdown’s 332 against Essex in 1934 remains the all-time Kent record for the highest score by an individual in an innings. Only Sean Dickson’s 318 at Beckenham against Northamptonshire in 2017 and another triple ton hit by Ashdown (305 not out) also sit ahead of Bell-Drummond’s marathon 300 not out against Northamptonshire.

On the challenge of switching so quickly between formats, Bell-Drummond explained: “I’ve found it tough in the past.

“I’ve worked on a few technical things and, hopefully, I can keep working on them going forward. It’s always tricky.

“But during the height of the summer, there’s no time to think, really, because fixtures are coming thick and fast. Luckily, I was able to keep the same rhythm going.

“I was really happy with how I played in those forms – during that period especially.”

There was a sad end to an amazing month, however, as Bell-Drummond injured himself when batting in a Duckworth-Lewis T20 defeat at Canterbury to Sussex Sharks.

“It was a weird time,” said Bell-Drummond. “I’ve been lucky enough to not have many injuries so, in the height of the summer, to be missing out, especially being in good form, that was a strange period for me.

“But I was okay with it. I just kept making sure I was training hard and doing the right things to come back as quickly as possible.

“Thankfully, I could regain that form.”

Bell-Drummond also enjoyed a purple patch of back-to-back County Championship tons in 2022 but is keen to point out, while he has enjoyed those fruitful spells, there has been plenty of consistency to his game.

He noted: “I averaged above 40 in red-ball cricket last year and this year.

“April wickets can be tough. I don’t think anybody did much in that period, facing some brilliant bowling!

“There was a crazy purple patch during June this year but I’ve been pretty happy with my red-ball cricket the last couple of years.”

All of Bell-Drummond’s personal successes came after he and Joe Denly had earlier been axed from the red-ball side, which eventually narrowly avoided County Championship Division 1 relegation on a dramatic final day.

He said: “It’s a tricky one. I had a great year last year in that format so I wasn’t very happy at the time.

“But things happen for a reason and, in my opinion, I wouldn’t have had the year I’ve had without being dropped, going back to the 2nds and getting a lot of game-time in T20s with the second team.

“At the end of the day, we were struggling as a team. They wanted to change something.

“Unfortunately it was me, which I didn’t like, but I was very happy with how I bounced back.”

While his batting remains his primary focus, Bell-Drummond has been used more as a bowler in recent years, with his medium pace becoming something of a secret weapon for Kent.

“I work extremely hard,” he admitted. “Unfortunately, my body doesn’t agree most of the time!

“As long as it doesn’t get in the way of my batting, I’ll keep trying.

“There were times this year where I was needed because of injuries and [I suited] some of the wickets were playing on. I’ll keep trying to bowl.

“It’s quite tough on the body - but I won’t stop unless I have to.”

The Academy graduate penned a new Kent deal until the end of 2025 amid his red-hot form in June. He has replaced wicketkeeper Sam Billings as Kent club captain, although the latter will remain their T20 Blast skipper.

“It’s been forever here,” said Bell-Drummond.

“I played when I was six or seven - I think that was during the last century! I really enjoy it here, it’s home for me. I want to play for as many years as possible here.

“What I do on the pitch is the main factor behind that so I want to keep producing and, hopefully, I can be here for as long as possible.”

Bell-Drummond previously has played franchise cricket in Bangladesh, New Zealand and Sri Lanka, and he’s still finalising his winter plans.

“I’m just seeing if a few things work out,” he said. “I’m still looking at the options out there.

“If not, I’ll be training hard here and will get some cricket in the New Year.

“I’ll be happy either way but, hopefully, I can get some franchise cricket.”