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Kent all-rounder Darren Stevens has been coaching ahead of this year’s The Hundred competition - and loving every minute of it.
Stevens has endured a stop-start summer for Kent but says he is now fully fit.
He has also been working with South East Stars ahead of the second edition of The Hundred which gets under way next month.
“I have been doing a lot of work with South East Stars,” he said.
“It’s been a breath of fresh air.
“As much as I want to go into the men’s side of it, the women have been really good.”
At 46, Stevens has one eye on his future once he does eventually hang up his boots, after an extraordinary career, having spent time coaching with South African Gary Kirsten and also offering one-to-one coaching sessions.
“I had a sit down with Paul Downton [director of cricket] and Walks [Matt Walker, head coach] about four years ago. I said I would love to stay at the club coaching [following retirement],” he recalled.
“These players in the first-team, I have been a team-mate and sort of a coach during games to most of them in the middle.
"I feel like I have their respect. I speak to most of them daily.
“They said ‘You cannot go from being a player to coach straight away’. I’ll be honest, I think that was a bit of a get-out. But I suppose they wanted me to go away and work on my coaching.
“Since then, I have spent time in South Africa and done one-to-one coaching, and with the Stars thing, I loved coaching over there in the winter.
“The only downside is driving to Beckenham three times a week! Summer has been a bit scarce but I have had a bit of time there.
“I would love to go down the coaching route.
"Playing across four decades, I feel like I have got plenty to give.”
For now, though, Stevens insists he is raring to go on the field, getting overs under his belt in the last three weeks following a frustrating period which has seen him miss out on plenty of first-team action due to a shoulder injury.
He has recently also turned out for St Lawrence & Highland Court in Kent League Division 1 and last month blasted an unbeaten century for them.
He stated: “They are doing really well and I have really enjoyed it. I have known the boys there for a long time.
“It’s been really nice. I have got a few runs and a few overs in, although we had a tough defeat at the weekend.
“But it’s a different challenge and I love challenges so it’s been really enjoyable.
“Hopefully the boys can win the league.”
The start of the Royal London One-Day Cup is also around the corner, Kent starting at Worcestershire on Tuesday, and Stevens says he has been told he will be playing in that competition.
He stated: “I spoke to Paul Downton on Monday and he said I will be playing all the one-day stuff. I asked him about the County Championship as well.
“I made it very clear I’m up for that as well. Hopefully we can stay up in the County Championship.
“I’m excited about the one-day cup.
"We have a strong side with Joe Denly, and Matt Henry for the first few games, and Blakey [Alex Blake] and Robbo [Ollie Robinson] and George Linde - he is just resting this week - but he should be back for that.”
Stevens, who once again missed out this week as Kent lost by 184 runs to Lancashire, also spoke about former team-mate Sam Northeast’s record 410 not out last week for Glamorgan.
“Look we all know what a class player he is,” he said.
“How he didn’t get picked for England, I don’t know. He’s had a tough period recently but he has churned runs out for years.
“Doing what he did the other day is testament to his mental power.
“He’s a high-class player and someone I regard as a mate.”
