In another record-breaking innings, 46-year-old veteran all-rounder Darren Stevens, who played for Kent, hit 168 runs off 142 balls on day 1 of a first-class match against Sri Lanka Development XI on Friday, May 6. Stevens put up a partnership of 264 runs with South African George Linde to take his team from 95-4 to end the first day of the four-day game 418-6 as Stevens was bowled by Udith Madushan (2/75) after hitting a lovely 168.
Back in 1948, Bob Wyatt made 166 for Worchester vs Surrey at Worcester aged 47 yrs, 20 days. 74 years later, Stevens hit his 150, to move to second on the list aged 46 years and six days. Meanwhile, Linde, who was making his home debut, hit his maiden ton for Kent in Canterbury, too. He was caught off the bowling of spinner Ashen Bandara (1-30) after scoring 107 late in the day.
Their partnership was just 13 short of the Kent record which is held by Frank Woolley and Les Ames who put on a 277-run partnership against a New Zealand side back in 1931. Stevens’ knock also saw the 46-year-old move past 13,000 first-class runs for Kent with the innings including 29 boundaries - 24 fours and five sixes.
Stevens returned to the side after missing their last match against Yorkshire, which ended in a draw. Earlier in the day, opener Marcus O'Riordan (31), Joe Denly (35) and stand-in skipper Jack Leaning (22) all made starts before Kent were reduced to 95-4 prior to their fightback.
Kent duo Hamidullah Qadri and Billy Mead reached stumps 19 not out and 15 not out, respectively.
Stevens has another similar record under his kitty. In 2019, the Englishman, at age 43, became the oldest cricketer to score a first-class double century since Walter Keeton in 1949. To date, that score of 237 runs off 225 deliveries remains his career-best and included 28 boundaries and nine sixes.
