Walker to leave Kent with Mott in frame as replacement

Matt Walker will leave Kent at the end of the season after seven years as men's head coach.

Walker, who had a 16-year playing career with the county, was promoted in 2017 to replace Jimmy Adams, having been assistant coach at the club, a position he had held since 2014.

During his time in charge, the 50-year-old enjoyed limited-overs success in the form of the 2021 Vitality Blast and the One-Day Cup in 2022. Kent also earned promotion to Division One of the County Championship in 2018.

However, they look set for a return for Division Two this summer, languishing bottom having won just one of 11 matches so far. They also propped up the South Group in this season's T20 Blast and won just three of eight in the Metro Bank, finishing seventh in Group A.

"It's been an incredible honour to be the head coach of my home county for eight years," Walker said in a statement released by Kent on Friday.

"Now is the time for new ideas and new personnel to come in and make their own mark on men's cricket at Kent, something that I have really enjoyed doing in my time here. The promotion to Division One and trophy successes have been fantastic to be a part of but most of all working with the players and the coaches here has always been the most rewarding.

"Winning the Vitality Blast in 2021 will always be up there for me as one of the best days of coaching this great club. The players brought us that success on the field but the knock-on effect that had for everyone, including the staff and of course our loyal members and supporters, was a feeling that people rarely experience.

"I'd like to thank everyone involved with Kent Cricket for making this one of the best jobs in the world, and I wish the club, and everyone connected to it, the very best for the future."

Kent's director of cricket Simon Cook said: "Matt has been an outstanding servant to the club not only as a player but as a coach, too.

"He is one of a handful of people to have won trophies as both a player and a coach, and his name will forever be associated with recent successes at Kent Cricket.

"On behalf of all of the coaches, players, and staff behind the scenes, I'd like to thank Matt for his extremely hard work as men's head coach, and we all wish him the very best for the future."

It is understood Walker's successor will be sourced externally, with Matthew Mott under consideration after stepping down as England's white-ball coach earlier this summer.

Mott has experience in county cricket, having worked at Glamorgan between 2011 and 2013 as head coach before becoming the county's head of elite performance. He still has residence in Cardiff, but is due to return to Australia next week, having agreed a contract to work as an assistant coach at Sydney Sixers .

He also came close to taking over at Kent ahead of Walker's appointment, before deciding to stay on as Australia Women's head coach. In 2007, he spent the summer at Canterbury as part of a coaching exchange with New South Wales.