Kent coach Jimmy Adams says the best is yet to come from Matt Coles and claims he can use Darren Stevens as an example of how to evolve as a player.

Coles and Stevens both passed 60 Championship wickets for the season at Cardiff on Saturday but Adams claims the form of 39-year-old Stevens should be a blueprint for Coles – 14 years his junior – despite claiming his 100th scalp in all competitions in Kent’s penultimate game.

Coles returned to the club this season after 18 months at Hampshire and Adams admitted his return had been a resounding success.

He said: “All the people involved in his decision to come back, including himself, should pat themselves on the back.

“He’s a young man from Kent, lives here, his family lives here – to have that individual putting in the performances that he did so consistently is heartening.

“He’s carried the attack the whole year pretty much across three formats. He’s still learning the trade, he’s not the finished article but he’s willing to take the workload and did so well.”

He added: “He’s physically carried a burden this season but he’s stayed on the park. He was fit enough to play through the season in three formats and he had consistent peformances, getting important wickets. It’s a credit to himself.”

Adams predicted more and more “big matches” from Coles, explaining: “In time, as he gets better, his skills improve, he gets stronger mentally and physically, I have no doubt the best is yet to come.

“A young man of 25, still learning the trade, has a lot more in terms of what he can achieve going forward.

“It’s a challenge to make sure he doesn’t settle into a comfort zone. Enjoy your success by all means but let’s see what more we can get out of him – I think there’s more there.”

He added: “Skill levels can always improve. Look at bowlers in the second half of their career – the cricket nous they can marry with skills makes them a totally different proposition to how they were 10 years earlier.

“Darren shows what can happen with time, experience and higher skill levels.
“He’s got smarter, his skill has improved as the years have gone by and it’s an example to Matt – he hasn’t really started to bowl yet, he’s so young and raw.

“I see no reason why he can’t get better and better as a bowler. He has shown he has tools to work with. His batting has a lot more to offer, too.”