Nathan Gilchrist will leave Kent at the close of the summer and head for Warwickshire, ending a six-year stay that started when the quick arrived from Somerset’s academy back in 2020.
The 25-year-old seamer, born in Harare but England-qualified, rejected a new deal at Canterbury. He has passed 100 first-class wickets for Kent at 32.40 and helped lift the 2022 Royal London One-Day Cup, taking 3 for 65 in the final. His white-ball work has gathered pace since a late T20 debut last year – 29 wickets at 18.93, if a touch expensive at more than ten an over.
“This was an extremely tough decision for me to make, but this is the best move for me, and for my career, at this point in time,” Gilchrist said.
“I’d like to thank everyone at Kent for believing in me from day one when I arrived here as a 20-year-old looking to prove myself back in 2020. I hope that I have done just that and I’m extremely proud to have been a Kent cricketer.
“I’ve made some lifelong friendships during my time at the club, and under Adam Hollioake, I can definitely see a bright future for Kent. I’d also like to give a big thank you to the Kent Members and supporters for all the support that they have given me during my time here.
“It’s not quite goodbye just yet, and I’m fully focused on ending this season on a high note. Hopefully we can make some more great memories together to go with all of the others that we’ve made over the past five years.”
Kent’s director of cricket, Simon Cook, added: “We’re disappointed that Nathan has chosen to not sign a new contract here and move to Warwickshire, but we wish him all the very best for the future. He will always be welcome back at The Spitfire Ground.”
Why Warwickshire? The Bears have been on the lookout for a right-arm seamer to bolster a red-ball group that, Chris Rushworth aside, has lacked a bit of snap. Gilchrist brings genuine pace and bounce, traits especially handy on an Edgbaston surface that can flatten out by mid-afternoon. His economy in T20 cricket needs tidying, yet Warwickshire’s analysts believe that can be managed with clearer roles and shorter spells.
For Kent it is another seam vacancy to fill. Nathan Ellis’s short-term overseas stint ends soon and Matt Quinn has battled injury, so a winter scramble feels likely. Still, the club backs its pathway – Pat Brown and Jas Singh are next in line – and head coach Hollioake has spoken of widening the net in the Championship’s second division next term, where home-grown quotas apply.
No contract length has been confirmed by Warwickshire, although similar moves have tended to stretch three years. Gilchrist is expected to slot in behind Rushworth and Olly Hannon-Dalby, with a chance to push into the new-ball pairing once he settles.
A clean break is rarely easy, and both parties have handled it calmly. Gilchrist gets a fresh challenge, Warwickshire shore up their attack, and Kent – well, they have another development job on their hands.
