Denness honour caps "thrilling year"

By Mark Pennell

A special year for former Kent and England captain Mike Denness has been sealed by his appointment as an OBE in the New Year Honours list for services to cricket.

Scottish-born Denness, who is currently Kent’s president, served the county for 15 seasons, making 333 appearances and scoring 17,047 runs at an average of 32.90. An elegant right-hander, he made 21 centuries for the county with a highest score of 178 against Somerset, at The Mote in Maidstone, in 1975.

He won 28 Test caps for England, including 19 as captain, scoring 1,667 runs, including four hundreds. His career-best of 188 came against Australia in Melbourne on England's 1974-75 Ashes tour. He scored seven half-centuries and averaged 39.69 in Tests.
 
After leaving Kent after the drought summer of 1976, Denness spent four seasons with Essex, before becoming an ICC match referee and subsequently Kent’s cricket committee chairman.

Denness said: “I am absolutely delighted and over the moon that this has come my way. I never expected this and it really is a great honour. What with the presidency of Kent, this completes a thrilling year.
 
“It really has been outstanding, and there has been so much commitment from everybody. I thoroughly enjoyed Canterbury Week in August and all that it involved, and I will treasure the memories for the rest of my life.”

Kent chairman George Kennedy added: “I am delighted Mike has been awarded an OBE. This is richly deserved for all he has done for the game of cricket in so many capacities.

“In particular, Mike has made a great contribution to Kent cricket, as a player, as captain, as chairman of cricket and then most recently as our president. I am sure that all the supporters will join me in congratulating him.”

Date: 30/12/2012 11:27:00 by Mark Pennell
In: Today | Kent |