MATTHEW WALKER’S career has become something of a roller coaster ride since he made his low-key first-class debut on Kent’s 1993 pre-season tour to Zimbabwe.

The 32-year-old from Gravesend is nowadays regarded as one of the senior statesmen among Kent’s class of 2006.

He went into his 14th summer with a new role to play in limited overs cricket to go alongside the heavy weight of championship runs that maturity now demands of his status as a top-order batsman.

Carpeted for two soft dismissals in last month’s championship defeat to Durham, Walker responded in a typically pugnacious fashion and continued the thrill-a-minute ride that has become his cricket career by scoring a stunning first innings century against Middlesex at Lord’s.

He also scored an unbeaten 84 in the second inings to help steer the side to a memorable win.

Having taken a decade to post his first 1,000-run season in 2003, Walker expects much more of himself nowadays.

He said: "With experience you learn how to get through a pre-season and by slowly building into the season you hopefully peak at the right time.

"We were lucky with the weather and were able to spend plenty of time batting in the nets. We didn’t overcook the practice though and made the emphasis on quality rather than quantity."

This summer Walker has accepted a new challenge in limited overs cricket - that of mid-innings enforcer - and it is a challenge he looks forward to, along with some improved one-day results.

"Our one-day performances have to be better. We were very average last year considering the sides we selected and it turned out being nothing short of a disgrace.

"It takes a while to work out what best suits you and in one-day cricket I’ve batted at every number bar the last three for Kent. I think my best role is in the middle order and this year will see me going in at five or six."

Walker suffered a double disappointment in 2005 when, after a disastrous stint as acting one-day skipper, he missed out on the 1,000-run milestone in first-class cricket by only seven runs.

Though 2005 was a summer he would prefer to forget about, Walker has learnt some important lessons and set his sights on bouncing back this year.

He said: "It was a funny year and by August I looked set for 1,300 first-class runs and was averaging 50, but the last month went horribly wrong for me and the side.

"We were pushing for the championship and come the national league games on Sundays it felt like we lost our emphasis and were guilty of just wanting to get the game out of the way.

“I never really felt comfortable in the role as captain, I was kind of stepping into someone else’s shoes and didn’t really enjoy the experience.

“I much prefer to give the team my energy and enjoy my cricket again rather than worrying about off-the field stuff or the date of the next committee meeting.”

Whatever role he takes on Kent members can be sure of one response from Walker – he will give his all.