Ryan ten Doeschate becomes Kent batting coach in first full-time coaching role

Ryan ten Doeschate will join Kent as a batting coach in his first full-time role since retiring from professional cricket earlier this year.

Ten Doeschate, who turned 41 in June, retired from the game after playing for Netherlands in the T20 World Cup in October following the end of the county season.

He travelled to South Africa on Netherlands' aborted tour as a mentor and was tipped by Ryan Campbell, their head coach, as a potential successor in that role, but has opted to sign a deal with Kent, where he will work alongside his former Essex team-mate Matt Walker developing young batters like Zak Crawley and Jordan Cox.

"I'm excited to be given the opportunity to work with Matt Walker and the Kent squad, especially with the talented group of players that have just won the Vitality Blast and will compete in Division One of next season's LV= Insurance County Championship," ten Doeschate said.

"I'm ready to start a new chapter of my career and use my experience and that of some of the others I've worked with to influence and improve the players and the group."

Ten Doeschate will replace Michael Yardy, who spent two years as Kent's batting coach but recently returned to Sussex as their academy director following Richard Halsall's departure.

Paul Downton, Kent's director of cricket, said that ten Doeschate would bring a "winning mentality" to the club. "We are delighted to welcome 'Tendo' to the club following his recent retirement as an outstanding player," he said.

"He is a proven leader with two Championship wins under his captaincy at Essex, and he already has a varied coaching CV. He will bring with him a winning mentality and all the experience of a successful playing career into an ambitious Kent dressing room keen to learn.

"Equally important, I have no doubt that he will fit in extremely well with Matt Walker, who he has played alongside in his career, and Simon Cook [bowling coach] to create a really exciting coaching team at Kent."