This is a list of Kent County Cricket Club first-class cricket records including record team and individual performances in first-class cricket for Kent County Cricket Club.
As of September 2024, Kent have played over 3,400 first-class matches since the club's official formation in 1842. More than 2,700 of these have been in the County Championship, which Kent have been a member of since its inaugural season in 1890.Milton, Howard (2016). 'Match Records' in Reid J (ed) 2016 Kent County Cricket Club Annual, pp. 191–198, Canterbury: Kent County Cricket Club Before August 1842, the county was represented by a number of first-class teams who competed against county teams and other representative teams.
Team records All records last updated 17 May 2025
Kent's highest score in an innings was achieved in 1934 against Essex at Brentwood. Their highest score at a home ground was set in 2017 at Beckenham with Northamptonshire as the opposition.Milton, Howard (2016). 'Team Records' in Reid J (ed) 2016 Kent County Cricket Club Annual, pp.199–202, Canterbury: Kent County Cricket ClubDickson's 318 tops day of Kent records, CricInfo, 4 July 2017. Retrieved 4 July 2017. This surpassed the score of 633/8, made in 2015 at Tunbridge Wells against Essex.Kent crush Essex in LV= County Championship Division 2 clash at Tunbridge Wells, Kent Online, 21 July 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2016.Records tumble at Tunbridge Wells, Kent County Cricket Club, 22 July 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2016.Hoad, Alex (2017). Record-breaking Kent batsman Sean Dickson wants another shot at history in the future, 'Kent Online', 5 July 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2018. The county's lowest innings totals all date from the 19th century.
+Highest team total in an innings Runs Opposition Venue Season 803/4 dec v Essex Old County Ground, Brentwood 1934 701/7 dec v Northants County Cricket Ground, Beckenham 2017 652/7 dec v Middlesex Uxbridge Cricket Club 2009 633/8 dec v Essex Nevill Ground, Tunbridge Wells 2015 621/6 dec v Essex Angel Ground, Tonbridge 1922
+Lowest team total in a completed innings Runs Teams Venue Season 18 v Sussex Bat and Ball Ground, Gravesend 1867 20 v Surrey The Oval 1870 23 v Sussex Royal Brunswick Ground, Hove 1859 25 v Derbyshire Wirksworth 1874 25 v MCC Lord's 1879
Highest total against in an innings: 722/6d by Northants at Canterbury, 2025 Lowest total against in an innings: 16 by Warwickshire at Tonbridge, 1913
Highest partnerships The highest partnership in Kent's history was 423 runs scored by Jordan Cox and Jack Leaning, set in 2020 at Canterbury against Sussex. This surpassed the previous highest partnership of 382 runs, set in 2017.Milton, Howard (2016). 'Batting Records' in Reid J (ed) 2016 Kent County Cricket Club Annual, pp.203–215, Canterbury: Kent County Cricket Club Cox and Leaning's partnership was unbroken when Kent were forced to declare their innings after 120 overs.Darren Stevens skewers Sussex after Jordan Cox, Jack Leaning run-bonanza, CricInfo, 10 August 2020. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
Runs Players Opposition Venue Season 423* (2nd wicket) Jordan Cox (238*) Jack Leaning (220*) v Sussex St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury 2020 382 (2nd wicket) Sean Dickson (318) Joe Denly (182) v Northamptonshire County Cricket Ground, Beckenham 2017 368 (4th wicket) Aravinda de Silva (255) Graham Cowdrey (137) v Derbyshire Mote Park, Maidstone 1995 366 (2nd wicket) Simon Hinks (234) Neil Taylor (152*) v Middlesex St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury 1990 352 (2nd wicket) Bill Ashdown (332) Frank Woolley (172) v Essex Old County Ground, Brentwood 1934
+Highest partnership for each wicket Partnership Runs Players Opposition Venue Season 1st wicket 300 Neil Taylor (146) Mark Benson (160) v Derbyshire St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury 1991 2nd wicket 423* Jordan Cox (238*) Jack Leaning (220*) v Sussex St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury 2020 3rd wicket 323 Rob Key (189) Martin van Jaarsveld (168) v Surrey Nevill Ground, Tunbridge Wells 2005 4th wicket 368 Aravinda de Silva (255) Graham Cowdrey (137) v Derbyshire Mote Park, Maidstone 1995 5th wicket 277 Frank Woolley (224) Les Ames (115) v New Zealanders St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury 1931 6th wicket 346 Sam Billings (110) Darren Stevens (237) v Yorkshire Headingley, Leeds 2019County Championship: Records fall as Stevens, 43, hits 237 in penultimate Kent game, BBC Sport, 16 September 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2019. 7th wicket 264 Chris Benjamin (93) Grant Stewart (182) v Gloucestershire County Ground, Bristol 2025 8th wicket 222 Sam Northeast (166*) James Tredwell (124) v Essex County Cricket Ground, Chelmsford 2016Essex go top in spite of record resistance from Northeast and Tredwell, CricInfo, 6 July 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2016. 9th wicket 171 Mark Ealham (122) Paul Strang (73) v Nottinghamshire Trent Bridge, Nottingham 1997 10th wicket 235 Frank Woolley (185) Arthur Fielder (112*) v Worcestershire War Memorial Athletic Ground, Stourbridge 1909
The stand of 235 achieved by Woolley and Fielder in 1909 remains, as of 2026, a record for the 10th wicket in the County Championship.
Appearances Five men have made more than 500 appearances for Kent in first-class cricket.Milton, Howard (2016). 'Players' Records' in Reid J (ed) 2016 Kent County Cricket Club Annual, pp.232–235, Canterbury: Kent County Cricket Club
764 Frank Woolley, 1906−1938 606 Wally Hardinge, 1902–1933 536 James Seymour, 1902–1926 520 Derek Underwood, 1963–1987 506 Tich Freeman, 1914–1936
Individual batting records Frank Woolley holds the records for most runs scored for Kent, as well as most runs in a season and most centuries in a career with 122, the only player with more than 100 centuries for the county. He made 10 centuries for the county in both the 1928 and 1934 seasons. Arthur Fagg scored two double centuries in a match against Essex at Colchester in 1938, a feat unique in first-class cricket until February 2019.Fagg's unique double-hundreds, CricInfo. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
The highest individual score for the county is 332 runs, achieved by Bill Ashdown against Essex at Brentwood in 1934. Ashdown is one of only three men to have scored more than 300 runs in an innings for the county, doing so twice in his career. Sean Dickson and Daniel Bell-Drummond are the only other triple-centurions for Kent. Dickson scored 318 runs against Northamptonshire in 2017, part of a new record partnership for any wicket for Kent with Joe Denly. The innings was Kent's highest score since the Second World War. Bell-Drummond made 300 not out in 2023, also against Northants, in a match at Northampton.
+Most career runs Runs Player Innings Period 47,868 Frank Woolley 1,213 1906–1938 32,549 Wally Hardinge 990 1902–1933 28,951 Les Ames 717 1926–1951 26,818 James Seymour 881 1902–1926 26,070 Arthur Fagg 767 1932–1957
+Most runs in a season Runs Player Innings Season 2,894 Frank Woolley 52 1928 2,540 Frank Woolley 51 1934 2,446 Wally Hardinge 46 1928 2,428 Les Ames 48 1933 2,420 Arthur Fagg 47 1948
+Highest individual score in an innings (* denotes not out) Runs Player Opponent Venue Season 332 Bill Ashdown v Essex Old County Ground, Brentwood 1934 318 Sean Dickson v Northamptonshire County Cricket Ground, Beckenham 2017 305* Bill Ashdown v Derbyshire Crabble Athletic Ground, Dover 1935 300* Daniel Bell-Drummond v Northamptonshire Wantage Road, Northampton 2023 295 Les Ames v Gloucestershire Cheriton Road, Folkestone 1933
Individual bowling records Spin bowlers Tich Freeman and Colin Blythe dominate Kent bowling records. Freeman is the leading wicket-taker in Kent's history and holds the records for the most 5-for and 10-for innings in first-class cricket.'Tich’ Freeman: Colossus who ruled the County Championship for Kent, Cricket Country, 17 May 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2016. Blythe has the best known figures in an innings for the county, taking 10/30 against Northamptonshire in 1907.Milton, Howard (2016). 'Bowling Records' in Reid J (ed) 2016 Kent County Cricket Club Annual, pp.216–224, Canterbury: Kent County Cricket Club
Freeman took 10 wickets in a match for Kent 128 times with Blythe achieving the same feat 64 times. Doug Wright took six first-class hat-tricks for the county during his career, as well as one for MCC in 1938/39. His seven hat-tricks is a world best total in first-class cricket. Dean Headley took three hat-tricks in the 1996 season for Kent, equalling the world best. Joseph Wells became the first recorded bowler to take four wickets in four balls for any team when playing for Kent against Sussex in 1862.Dhole P (2016) Four wickets in four balls: A short list, Cricket Country, 10 November 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
+Most wickets in a career Wickets Player Matches Average Career 3,340 Tich Freeman 506 17.64 1914–1936 2,210 Colin Blythe 381 16.67 1899–1914 1,951 Derek Underwood 520 19.21 1963–1987 1,709 Doug Wright 397 22.68 1932–1957 1,680 Frank Woolley 764 18.84 1906–1938
+Most wickets in a season Wickets Player Season 262 Tich Freeman 1933 260 Tich Freeman 1930 257 Tich Freeman 1931 246 Tich Freeman 1928 226 Tich Freeman 1932
Note: The most wickets taken in a season for Kent by a bowler other than Freeman is 185, by Colin Blythe, in 1909. Freeman (14 times), Blythe (eight times), Arthur Fielder (twice) and Frank Woolley (once) are the only men to take 150 wickets or more in a season for Kent.
+Best figures in an innings Bowling Player Opponent Venue Season 10/30 Colin Blythe v Northamptonshire County Cricket Ground, Northampton 1907 10/53 Tich Freeman v Essex Southchurch Park, Southend-on-Sea 1930 10/65 George Collins v Nottinghamshire Crabble Athletic Ground, Dover 1922 10/79 Tich Freeman v Lancashire Old Trafford, Manchester 1931 10/131 Tich Freeman v Lancashire Mote Park, Maidstone 1929 Edmund Hinkly took ten wickets in an innings against England at Lord's in 1848, the first time that the feat of taking all ten wickets in a first-class innings is known to have been achieved in first-class cricket.Cowdrey's crowning glory, CricInfo, 11 July 2003. Retrieved 6 February 2016. It is not known how many runs he conceded in doing so. These are the only occasions on which a Kent bowler has taken all 10 wickets in an innings.
+Best figures in a match Bowling Player Opponent Venue Season 17/48 Colin Blythe v Northamptonshire County Ground, Northampton 1907 17/67 Tich Freeman v Sussex County Ground, Hove 1922 17/92 Tich Freeman v Warwickshire Cheriton Road, Folkestone 1932 16/80 Doug Wright v Somerset Recreation Ground, Bath 1939 16/82 Tich Freeman v Northamptonshire Nevill Ground, Tunbridge Wells 1932 Hinkly took 16 wickets in the match against England in 1848 but, again, it is not known how many runs he conceded.
As of November 2017, only three players have taken a wicket for Kent with their first ball in first-class cricket for the county: George McCanlis in 1873, Colin Blythe in 1899 and Gerald Hough in 1919. Hough's wicket was the only one he took in his first-class career.'Bowling records' in Kent County Cricket Club Annual 2017, pp.197–205. Canterbury: Kent County Cricket Club.
Fielding records Frank Woolley holds the Kent record for the most catches by a non-wicket-keeper, with 773 taken during his long career with the county. James Seymour is the only other man to take more than 500 catches, with 659. Chris Tavaré holds the record for the most catches in a season for Kent, with 48 taken in 1978. Seymour took 40 or more catches for the county six times during his career.Milton, Howard (2016). 'Fielding and Wicketkeeping Records' in Reid J (ed) 2016 Kent County Cricket Club Annual, pp.225–227, Canterbury: Kent County Cricket Club
Most catches in an innings: 6 James Seymour vs South Africans at Canterbury, 1904 and Stuart Leary vs Cambridge University at Fenner's, 1958 Most catches in a match: 8 John Prodger vs Gloucestershire at College Ground, Cheltenham, 1961 Most catches in a season: 48 Chris Tavaré, 1978