Kent’s red-ball skipper Daniel Bell-Drummond has explained why he values the club cricket scene in the county so highly.

Bell-Drummond shone in Kent League Premier Division action as he helped Blackheath thump basement boys Bickley Park by 196 runs with a fine century last weekend.

While the 31-year-old struggles to fit in much club cricket around his various commitments these days, he did so against Bickley Park, where he was joined in the Blackheath side by county team-mate Arafat Bhuiyan.

Another Kent bowler, 21-year-old Jas Singh, also regularly plays for Bexley in the same division.

Bell-Drummond feels the top divisions of club cricket give Kent’s youngsters a great chance to experience playing regular men’s first-team cricket.

“It’s a good grounding, especially for someone like Jaydn Denly or a Jas Singh,” he said.

“I know Whitstable, where Jaydn plays, aren’t in the Premier Division - yet - but those two will have got a lot of knowledge from club cricket and will have become more streetwise from playing men’s cricket at an early stage.

Kent League Premier Division weekend round-up

“It can be different, obviously, to the first-class game. There’s a bit less pace but, ultimately, it’s still competitive games.

“That’s why I rate it highly.”

Heading into the business end of their season, there’s a three-horse Premier Division title race between leaders Minster, Blackheath and St Lawrence & Highland Court.

Whoever comes out on top will be the fourth different Premier Division winner in the past four years, following in the footsteps of Lordswood (2023), Hayes (2022) and Bexley (2021).

Bell-Drummond said: “It’s a good standard. I probably haven’t seen enough but, whenever I have played, it’s been very good quality cricket.

“Obviously, different wickets and all of that kind of thing makes it trickier. But I think the standard is very competitive.

“Whenever I go back, different teams are doing well and I just think that shows how strong everyone is.

“It’s a league I enjoy playing in.”

Bell-Drummond blasted 159 off 131 balls against Bickley Park - a knock which included 21 boundaries, including three sixes.

“It was good fun,” he noted. “I always enjoy playing cricket, although I haven’t been able to play too much this year.

“I didn’t really play for three weeks in The Hundred and the games clashed so I wasn’t allowed to play for Kent (in the One-Day Cup), either. I had to play some cricket and it was good.

“It’s always good to see some old friends, as well. I enjoy playing Kent League cricket.

“It’s something that I have always done and, hopefully, can continue to do.”

While Bell-Drummond used his sole outing for Blackheath this year as a chance to spend time in the middle before Kent’s County Championship season run-in, it was actually a pink ball he came up against.

“I only found out the day before - Jas Singh told me - so I was half thinking of pulling out,” he joked. “I’m not sure they would have been pleased with that!

“But I think cricket is cricket at the end of the day. I hadn’t played for about three weeks before that so time in the middle is massive for me.

“Whatever level that is at, I’d never disrespect the game.”

Minster remain 23 points clear with just three fixtures to play this summer - but have suffered consecutive losses to the bottom two.

Bell-Drummond recalled: “This time last year when I played for Blackheath, they were looking like they were about to go down.

“It’s more or less the same players this year - and completely different results! With the Kent League, that’s how it can be.

“As Kent captain, I don’t want to be condoning a Minster slip up - but that would be good for the Blackheath guys.

“You never know what can happen.

“But Blackheath are in a good place. They have won five in a row and we’ll just see what happens.”