Five emerging players sign new deals to stay at Kent

Kent County Cricket Club is pleased to announce that five young players have signed contract extensions.

Alex Blake, James Goodman, Matt Coles, Phil Edwards and Warren Lee have all agreed to extend their present deals with the club.

Blake, who forced his way into the Championship and one-day squads last season, is clearly happy to be continuing his career with Kent:

"I am delighted to sign this new extended contract," said the 20-year-old.

The England under 19 all-rounder is highly rated and already looking forward to the 2010 season. "I“m really pleased to be carrying on my career at Kent. I realise that I still have a lot to learn and will work on this over the winter because next season is an important one for me," he added.

Fellow England under 19 all-rounder James Goodman, 18, has also put pen-to-paper, along with Matt Coles, 19.
Both came through the ranks at Kent and new head coach, Paul Farbrace, says they remain very committed to the club. "Kent is a special place to play your cricket – not only because of the team spirit shown by all the players and management but also the fantastic support shown by all of our members and supporters," he said.

Bowlers Warren Lee, 22, and Phil Edwards, 25, have also been rewarded with new deals and will continue their cricketing education at the St Lawrence Ground.

Farbrace, who replaced Graham Ford as coach at the end of last summer, is encouraged that the players have chosen to stay. "The five players agreeing contract extensions is obviously fantastic news," he said. "Not only are these players developing as cricketers, they are also Kent through and through and understand what the club is about and where we are looking to go in the future. They all have a lot of hard work ahead of them but the rewards are there if they are prepared to put the effort in."

The county’s Director of Cricket, Graham Johnson, is similarly heartened. "We obviously hope that the five players will continue to develop throughout next season and show the Kent members and supporters just what qualities they possess. We are, with the support of Kent Cricket Board, fully committed to producing talented young cricketers and this is demonstrated by these new signings. With recent changes made by ECB regarding England qualified players, this is a great time for young home grown players to make their mark.”