A teenage Kent Academy scholar is set to play for the club in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup after penning a rookie contract.

Batting all-rounder Ekansh Singh, 18, has featured for Kent’s second team since the 2022 season.

Overall, he has played 22 times and scored more than 500 runs, including 107 not out against Essex’s Second XI earlier this year.

Batting right-handed and bowling right-arm medium pace, Singh will wear the No.5 shirt for Spitfires and joins fellow recent Academy products Jaydn Denly and Jas Singh in Kent’s 50-over squad in July and August.

The news comes a day after it was revealed second-team coach Mark Dekker will be in charge of Kent for the competition.

“I’m over the moon to be given the opportunity to develop as a Kent cricketer during the Metro Bank One-Day Cup,” said Orpington-born Singh.

“I’ve been at the club since the age of 10 and, having made my way through the age-group squads and our Academy, I’m extremely proud to now be a part of the first-team squad and wear a Kent shirt - a lifelong dream of mine.

“I’m looking forward to working more with Mark Dekker and the coaches here to become the best player I can be in this 50-over season.”

Director of cricket Simon Cook said: “Ekansh is an exciting young cricketer with a lot of talent, batting at the top of the order and bowling invaluable overs, too.

“The Metro Bank One-Day Cup is a big opportunity for him and I look forward to seeing him taking on the challenge of competitive first-team cricket in the near future.

“It’s exciting for us all to see homegrown talent make the next step into a First XI squad and I’m sure our members and supporters will get behind both Ekansh, and the rest of our squad, in sky blue this summer.”

Kent start their One-Day Cup campaign against Somerset at Taunton next Friday after a friendly with Bedfordshire on Tuesday.