Darren Stevens’ fairy-tale finish to his Kent Spitfires career was made extra special at the weekend – with his two biggest fans watching on.
The iconic 46-year-old all-rounder was probably making his final Kent outing at Trent Bridge as Spitfires won the Royal London One-Day Cup final over Lancashire.
Stevens was cheered to the rafters by every Kent supporter, but he was thrilled that sons Flynn and Leo were both in the crowd to watch their dad on the winning side. “The kids love it, and Flynn my eldest came to the final last year,” said Stevens. “Now my littlest Leo was here this year, he’s around the right age to remember it. “The oldest gets very emotional and I think he’ll remember this year and last year for a long time.” Asked if the children are allowed to join in with chants of ‘Stevo’ at home, he joked: “No - I get abuse if I don’t play cricket in the garden!” Stevens described the sight of so many Kent fans wanting to shake his hand and have a picture taken after the final as emotional.
It was probably a touch overwhelming as well, it’s been many years since a Kent player has enjoyed such a connection with the fanbase. “It’s emotional,” he stated. “Hopefully it’s not the end and I carry on playing somewhere else.