Penny for your thoughts, coach

DARREN STEVENS A few years ago, Paul Downton, Kent’s director of cricket, told me that my playing days were up and...

He was just a scrawny kid, but you knew he was something special

DARREN STEVENS It was always going to finish with Stuart Broad. Those cricketing gods… There I was thinking I’d had a...

Where stars are born (and swansongs sung!)

DARREN STEVENS The return of the One-Day Cup this week stirs some happy memories from last year. Having previously lost three...

From Hinckley home to Headingley haven

DARREN STEVENS What luck I’ve had to have played at so many different cricket grounds all over the UK and across...

Pick your best keeper – and that means Foakes

DARREN STEVENS Back when I was a teenager playing for Hinckley Town CC in the early 1990s, I had an experimental...

For a county cricketer, nothing beats Finals Day

DARREN STEVENS When I played for Leicestershire in the first-ever T20 Finals Day in 2003, few of us knew what to...

What is going on at Leicestershire?

DARREN STEVENS I’m a Leicester lover, it’s my home town and the place where I played for the first eight years...

Bob helped set me free, now he’s on the Bazball trail

DARREN STEVENS My first thought when I heard that Rob Key had been appointed managing director of the England men’s cricket...

No disrespect to Kookaburra, but I’m a dukes man!

DARREN STEVENS While our very own Dukes cricket ball takes centre stage in the Ashes over the next few weeks, English...

Playing a waiting game

The girls play exclusively white-ball cricket at domestic level, but it’s great to see that the longer format will be on...

The time has come to bring in the red ball

DARREN STEVENS For the past 18 months, I’ve had a coaching role with South East Stars, one of the eight regional...

My all-time blast XI (Please forgive me, Azhar!)

DARREN STEVENS The Cricket Paper asked me to pick my all-time XI for English domestic cricket and it’s been a lot...

Hats off to my old roommate Jimmy!

DARREN STEVENS What another extraordinary achievement by Jimmy Anderson: 20 years as a fast bowler in Test cricket. Back in 2002,...

Red or white, it’s easy – Just watch the ball

DARREN STEVENS It’s good that the T20 Blast is played out in one block now, with just a handful of Championship...

RED OR WHITE, IT’S EASY – JUST WATCH THE BALL

DARREN STEVENS It’s good that the T20 Blast is played out in one block now, with just a handful of Championship...

Why are we giving smith a free net?

DARREN STEVENS So, Steve Smith has arrived on these shores to play three County Championship matches for Sussex. Or, to put...