MATTHEW WALKER celebrated winning Kent’s player of the season award by going out to complete his fourth century and beat his own 2003 record for aggregate runs in a summer against Middlesex on Friday.

The 30-year-old left-hander from Gravesend was "flabbergasted" to stave off the claims of England batsmen Rob Key and Ed Smith by winning the members’ poll and was clearly delighted to collect the Cowdrey Award from Kent’s president Brian Luckhurst.

Walker, who attracted 274 votes from supporters to take the trophy, made it a double by also lifting the Ealham Award for the top fielder in the county for his 25 catches in all competitions.

Beaming after collecting his silverware, Walker said: “If I’m honest I didn’t expect to win anything. I’ve had a good season, but people like ‘Keysy’ have had amazing season’s in my eyes, so I’m delighted to win.

“I set myself the target to be the best fielder in the team and I feel I’ve done well in that regard considering I’ve got the likes of Alex Loudon and Michael Carberry pushing me.

“But as for player of the season, I never expected such a lovely honour and I have to be honest and say it’s one of the highlights of my career. I’ve got some good runs this year but any award voted for by the members rather than a committee has to be special. I have to say I’m a bit shocked.”

Kent’s 2004 beneficiary Min Patel bagged the Underwood Award as leading first-class wicket-taker with 41 scalps, leaving him well ahead of Andrew Symonds and Martin Saggers, who both missed the last month of the season.

Ed Smith, who is still being strongly linked with a move away from Kent possibly to Middlesex, was the final winner taking the Denness Award as leading run-scorer in the totesport League with 618 runs as well as scoring 1,000 first-class runs for the fifth time in his career.