Cricket

Wes Agar, the Australian fast bowler, has been forced to cut short his 2024 season with Kent County Cricket Club due to a shoulder injury. Agar sustained the injury during Kent's County Championship match against Worcestershire in May.Despite recovering enough to play against Essex at the end of June, Agar and Kent have mutually agreed that he will return to Australia to facilitate a full recovery. Agar was originally scheduled to stay at Canterbury until the end of July, playing in both the County Championship and the Vitality Blast. However, he will now depart without having featured in the latter this season.Kent have confirmed that Agar will return for the 2025 season on an all-format deal running from April to July, subject to regulatory approval. This news softens the blow of his early departure.Agar has taken 12 County Championship wickets at an average of 34.25 this season, adding to the 21 wickets he took at 28.33 during his first stint at the club in 2023. In 2023, he finished the campaign as Kent's joint-leading wicket-taker alongside Matt Quinn, despite playing only six matches."I'm thrilled to be coming back to my 'home away from home' again next year," Agar said in a statement. "I feel fully part of the Kent Cricket Family now. It's a great Club full of great people on and off the field, and the decision to sign on again for another English summer was an easy one to make. I can't wait to pull on that Kent shirt again and perform in front of our Members and supporters in 2025.""I'm gutted to be leaving the lads early this time, and I've absolutely loved my time in Canterbury this year. See you all in April!"Kent's Director of Cricket, Simon Cook, said: "Wes is a talented multi-format cricketer and a very popular member of our dressing room. We're extremely pleased that he will be joining us again next Summer.""His ethos and work ethic are great to have around the place, and we're looking forward to him being an important part of our attack at the front end of our 2025 season. It's sad to see him leave early with his shoulder injury, but we know that he will come back with the same enthusiasm to perform at his best in a Kent shirt next year."Agar's recovery will focus on ensuring he can play a full part in South Australia's Sheffield Shield campaign. He will then turn out for Sydney Thunder in the Big Bash League, having left Adelaide Strikers after eight seasons. Agar became the first player in the BBL to be traded as part of a pick exchange in the overseas draft.

Kent County Cricket Club has bolstered its bowling attack with the signing of Australian seamer Charlie Stobo as overseas cover for Wes Agar, Xavier Bartlett, and Beyers Swanepoel. The 29-year-old Stobo, who has a proven track record in the Sheffield Shield with Western Australia, has inked a deal that runs from May 20 to September 16, encompassing all formats of the game.Stobo's arrival comes amidst a shortage of fast-bowling options for Kent. The club was dealt a blow when Cricket Australia altered the conditions of Bartlett's No-Objection Certificate, preventing him from participating in the County Championship. To address this, Kent has already secured the services of South African seamer Swanepoel, who is set to join the squad for their Championship match against Lancashire on Friday.Stobo, despite being uncapped at international level and lacking T20 experience, qualifies to play professionally in the UK due to an ancestry visa. His signing is a testament to Kent's proactive approach to player recruitment, as they seek to navigate the challenges posed by the ECB's new regulations allowing counties to register up to four overseas players simultaneously.Simon Cook, Kent's director of cricket, expressed his delight at Stobo's acquisition. "We've been monitoring Charlie for some time now, and we're thrilled to have him on board for a significant portion of our season," Cook said. "We believe he possesses the attributes to succeed at Canterbury and will enhance our squad depth, enabling us to rotate players, particularly bowlers, to optimize their workloads and maximize their potential."Stobo, for his part, is eager to join his fellow Australians at Kent. "I'm excited to connect with some familiar faces, contribute to the Aussie presence with Wes Agar and Xavier Bartlett, and be part of a talented squad," Stobo said. "I'm grateful for this opportunity to play for Kent, which presents a new and exciting challenge for me."Both Stobo and Swanepoel will be available for Kent's Metro Bank Cup campaign, which commences in late July. Their signings underscore Kent's determination to compete on all fronts this season, as they aim to build on their recent successes in the County Championship and Vitality Blast.