Denly struck a career-best 199 against Derbyshire last week

Kent coach Paul Farbrace says he is desperate to keep Joe Denly at the club despite speculation linking him with a move away from the St Lawrence Ground.

The 25-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and recently described his contract situation as reaching a "stalemate."

But Farbrace told BBC Radio Kent: "I'm desperate for him to stay at Kent.

"I want him to be part of Kent cricket for a long time to come and he's shown over the last month why we want him."

Denly has had an indifferent season with the bat, averaging 28 before scoring 267 runs in two innings at Derbyshire, including a career best 199.

That knock emphasised the right-hander's resurgence in the latter half of Kent's campaign, which saw him hit 441 runs in Kent's last three county championship fixtures, and 100 against India in a t20 match.

Farbrace attributed the transformation to hard work and some good fortune, adding: "Fair credit to Joe. He's worked hard and he's deserved his success in the last five weeks.

"We knew it was coming, it was just a case of putting those scores together and getting a bit of luck along the way."

He added: "He went through a spell recently with umpires giving him out when balls were missing the stumps.

"He's starting to get a rub of the green. It's amazing when you're playing well and scoring runs, how that luck goes with you as well.

"There's been a lot said about Joe this year in terms of how he plays, but anybody that's watched him in the last five weeks can be nothing other than impressed by the way he plays."

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