Talented 22-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Jordan Cox to join Essex from 2024 after turning down new Kent deal

Kent have been dealt a big blow with talented young wicketkeeper Jordan Cox set to join one of their rivals.

Cox will link up with Essex on a three-year contract at the end of the year after he turned down a new Kent deal.

The Academy graduate made his debut in 2019 and has gone on to make 109 Kent appearances, in which he’s scored 3,371 runs.

Memorably, he combined with then-team-mate Matt Milnes to pull off a stunning boundary catch for Spitfires on his way to a player-of-the-match performance in their 2021 T20 Blast Final win over Somerset at Edgbaston.

Cox also shared a Kent record partnership of 423 alongside present red-ball skipper Jack Leaning for the second wicket in a massive triumph against Sussex in August 2020 - amid a behind-closed-doors game due to Covid pandemic restrictions.

He remains available for Kent for their County Championship clashes when fit until the conclusion of this season but the former Felsted School pupil’s imminent departure will leave a big void to fill.

When Cox isn’t keeping, he is widely regarded as one of the best fielders in the country and equalled Spitfires’ T20 record for the most outfield catches in a match by an individual during a seven-wicket win over Gloucestershire in Bristol last month.

“I’d like to thank everyone at Kent for everything they have done for me to get me where I am today,” the 22-year-old said.

“I’ll miss my team-mates, coaches and the staff at Kent, but I feel that now is the time for me to move on.

“The club will always hold a special place in my heart, and I will always look back on my time here fondly.

“I will continue to give my all for Kent during the rest of my time here.”

Ironically, Cox’s most recent Kent appearance came against Essex in a