Davies joins Kent ranks

Kent have signed Mark Davies, the former Durham and England Lions fast bowler, on a one-year deal. Davies, 31, has been with Kent on trial for the last few weeks and took part in the club's pre-season tour to Antigua. He has come through all the requisite fitness tests and both club and player hope to extend the deal before the end of the 2012 season.

The move ends Davies' long association with Durham. He joined the club's academy in 1997 and made his first team debut in 2002. He did have a year remaining on his contract with the club but, having fallen behind younger men in the competition for first team places (Durham have especially high hopes for the likes of Ben Stokes and Mark Wood) the decision was made to release him to a club where he will have greater opportunity.

Davies is a man who, but for injury, might well have enjoyed a distinguished international career. After several consistent seasons (he claimed 50 first-class wickets in 2004 and 49 in 2005), he was part of a strong seam attack that helped Durham to their first championship title in 2008 and was drafted into England's Test squad in South Africa December 2009. He was ultimately not required and subsequently fell behind other candidates as injury intervened.

Indeed, injury has been something of a recurring theme in Davies' career. He missed most of the 2006 season with a back problem and much of 2010 and 2011 with ankle problems. His career record remains exceptional, however: he has claimed 253 first-class wickets at the highly impressive average of 22.62 and a strike-rate of 49.50. If he can remain fit - and Kent feel that he can - then he is a very handy acquisition.

He also fits the pattern of Kent's recent signing. The club have brought in several highly talented players all of which, for one reason or another, have something of a point to prove. Some have suffered with injury; others for first team opportunity but all, in the words of Kent's chief executive, Jamie Clifford, can be considered to have "unfinished business" in the game.

While losing Joe Denly to Middlesex and Martin van Jaarsveld to retirement, Kent have signed Charlie Shreck, from Nottinghamshire; Ben Harmison (Durham); Michael Powell (Glamorgan); and Scott Newman, on a two-month loan from Middlesex. The West Indies batsman, Brendan Nash, has also joined up with the rest of the squad as Kent's overseas player "They are all also very good guys," Clifford said. "And that's important."

While Clifford disputes the Moneyball element to the signings - Moneyball is the book that details how a financially-challenged baseball club utilised statistics to identify how low-cost players would best strengthen their squad - there is no doubt that most of these new faces offer good value for money.

The county game is very much a buyers' market at present, with many players vying for the few positions open at the 18 clubs. Kent have considered a list of 65 players over the winter and, after giving trials and interviews to many, have selected only what they feel are the cream of the crop. The addition of Davies ends their interest in the transfer market ahead of the 2012 season, although they retain the option of bringing in new players for the Friends Life t20.

"Being part of Durham CCC for the past 15 years, coming through the academy and into the senior squad, has been a major part of my life and obviously I am sad to leave," Davies said. "But, the time was right to set myself a new challenge and I'm excited about what the future holds at Kent."

Durham's chief executive David Harker said: "We are really pleased that Mark's trial with Kent was successful, in that he will now get the opportunity he deserves to play 1st XI cricket. Mark has been a great ambassador for Durham, on and off the field, and we wish him the very best."