A trophy-winning quick desperate to have a blast at Headingley
Matt Milnes headed back North from Kent, the fast bowler joining Yorkshire on a three-year contract ahead of 2023.
Unfortunately, his first year at Headingley – his third home in his county career – was limited to just two County Championship matches because of a second successive back stress fracture.
Milnes has also previously played for home club Nottinghamshire, whom he first represented in age-group cricket.
He is a self-confessed “impact bowler” – a wicket-taker with extra pace.
Milnes suffered his first back stress fracture playing for Kent in September 2022, just weeks after agreeing to join Yorkshire. He spent his first winter with the club rehabbing, only to pull up sore again during his debut against Leicestershire in the opening match of last season.
After claiming four wickets and hitting a first-innings 75, he was sidelined until the final match of the campaign – against Worcestershire at Headingley, when he contributed three wickets to a win.
Milnes was somewhat of a late starter in terms of first-team cricket. While he made his first-class debut for Durham University in 2014, it wasn’t until he was 23 that he made his county debut – for Notts in the Championship in June 2018.
It was later that summer that Milnes opted to make the move to Kent. He made his List A and Twenty20 debuts for the Spitfires the following summer.
Milnes, now aged 29, has a best of 6-53 amongst 147 first-class wickets and has taken 19 in 12 List A appearances and 45 in 47 T20 outings. His best season came in 2019 when he took 58 first-class wickets, including 5-87 in Kent’s Championship win over Yorkshire at Headingley.
He also helped Kent win the 2021 Vitality Blast, striking 22 times.
UPDATED: Feb 2024.
