A two-time Vitality Blast winner, Darren Stevens has joined Derbyshire on-loan for the 2019 edition of the competition.
A regular in the Kent first-class side, Stevens has taken 28 wickets across eight Specsavers County Championship games this season, but it is in the white-ball formats that he has found the most success throughout his career.
The experienced all-rounder first won the Twenty-over competition in 2004 with Leicestershire, before repeating the feat with Kent three years later when he scored the winning runs as part of an unbeaten 30 against Gloucestershire.
Vitality Blast is the most explosive form of cricket, something which suits Stevens. He has played in more than 200 T20s and has scored 3,970 runs at an average of 26.82, scoring 17 half-centuries with a career-best score of 90.
That knock came in a 2015 fixture against Surrey at the Kia Oval, with Stevens smashing the total off just 39 balls, cracking ten fours and five sixes, before claiming four wickets to win the game for Kent.
A tricky medium-pace bowler, who is known for his variation, Stevens has taken 114 wickets in T20s throughout his career, with best figures of 4-14 in the format.
As well as finding success in the English domestic game, Stevens has also won the 2015-16 Bangladesh Premier League with Comilla Victorians, claiming 1-19 in the final.
Stevens started his career with Leicestershire, where he won the Twenty20 competition in 2004 before being released by the county. From there, he joined Kent and went on to make three-consecutive Finals Day appearances in 2007, 2008 and 2009, winning the first of that trio.
It was his performances in 2009 which saw Stevens named Twenty20 MVP, having scored 356 runs at an average of 59.33, including four half-centuries.
The all-rounder will join up with the Falcons, led by new Twenty20 Head Coach, Dominic Cork ahead of their first Vitality Blast game against Yorkshire on Saturday 20 July, 2.30pm start.
Welcome to Derbyshire, Darren.
Vitality Blast is back this month! Tickets for all seven home matches on sale now, including the big clash against Notts Outlaws on Friday 26 July. Buy online or call 01332 388 101.
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