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 seven-wicket County Championship Division 1 defeat at Chelmsford.

The Margate-born player sustained a calf injury during the four-day match and required a runner in order to bat in the second innings.

He was unable to recover in time for their away match against Nottinghamshire, a 321-run loss this week, and is now set to link up with the Oval Invincibles for the third edition of The Hundred competition.

Cox earned his first senior international England call-up last year, although didn’t feature in any games of their seven-match T20 tour of Pakistan.

Kent director of cricket Paul Downton said: “We’re disappointed that Jordan has decided to move on from Kent next year.

“He has made a name for himself as a Kent cricketer and has been extremely well-supported by the club.

“That said, we would like to thank Jordan for his contributions to Kent Cricket and wish him well with his cricket in the future.”

On Twitter, Kent club captain Sam Billings reacted, writing: “[An] undoubted big talent – of course, a loss.

“As a club, I don’t think we could have supported his journey any more and, at times, prioritised his development over others. Opportunities for young players now are endless.

“Good advice and support networks are paramount to navigate through a career, especially in the early [most important] stages of development.”

He’s the second wicketkeeper-batsman to leave the Canterbury club in as many years, Ollie Robinson having starred for Durham since his departure.

Kent do still have Billings and Harry Finch as senior options to play behind the stumps, though.

After the completion of the 2023 Hundred competition, Kent will finish their County Championship campaign with home games against Nottinghamshire and Lancashire, which will sandwich a trip to Somerset, as Cox aims to end his time with the relegation-threatened county on a high.