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Kent Cricket 2026
Comments
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Muyeye LBW for 4
38-31 -
Crawley caught behind off an inside edge from an uncontrolled waft for 31 (57)
67-41 -
4
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Heads must roll!1
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103-4 (25) at lunch. Currently 148 runs behind.
DBD 30* (44)
Evison 22* (25)1 -
🎵 innings defeat (again) olé olé, innings defeat olé olé 🎵3
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DBD LBW 30 (46)
103-51 -
Evison caught behind for 23 (33)
111-61 -
Milnes caught at slip for 4 (23)
140-7
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Useless. Is it poor batting, poor bowling or a combination of the two?1
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50 up for Benjamin2
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Dudgeon caught behind for 41 (52)
211-81 -
Parkinson bowled by Swanpoel for 7 (24)
220-91 -
It's probably too easy to blame poor coaching for batting lacking technique/application and a bowling attack that is currently relying on one or two bowlers.fenaddick said:
At this point it feels like poor coachingLenGlover said:Useless. Is it poor batting, poor bowling or a combination of the two?
The batting issue has been going on for years and it is only our bowling attack in those seasons that rescued us e.g. in 2019 Stevens, Podmore and Stevens took 159 wickets between them in the CC and yet only Billings and Denly averaged over 36 - and those two only scored 870 runs between them.
These are the averages of the seven batters to have batted for us for more than 50 innings (in brackets) for Kent in the last six seasons and still playing red ball:
Compton 43.26 (99)
DBD 38.19 (83)
Muyeye 34.56 (64)
Crawley 31.91 (53)
Evison 31.21 (63)
Finch 28.23 (57)
We have to remember that some of those averages, as poor as they already are, have been skewed by the odd mammoth innings on a road. Which basically means a lot of the time sides are running through us. This is either because those batters' technique isn't up to it or they possess an inherent inability to put a value on their wicket. The proof is how many times the likes of Stevens, Stewart, Milnes, Dudgeon etc etc have rescued us over the years.
It's also easy to argue that we should get players in who will consistently score big runs or are capable of bowling a side out. The trouble is that they cost money and with something like four or five counties under or close to financial measures being foisted on them by the ECB, it's not difficult to see why this isn't possible for us. And if a county doesn't have money and is at the bottom of Div 2, why would any cricketer worth his salt move to Kent? That is why we re-signed Cohen and Quinn (who is also helping with coaching the age group bowlers so it is a dual role).
Which is why I keep coming back to the hope that those three or four youngsters coming through might ultimately be the answer. But they need time.
Crawley, if he wasn't contracted by England would even now be under pressure from Dawkins. Ekansh could turn out to be a rival to Evison with bat and ball. Jaydn might prove to be Compton's successor. Curtiss could become another decent all-rounder.
The one thing that needs to happen in the short term is to move the regularly stranded Benjamin up the order even if only to switch with Evison. Beyond that I really don't know what the short-term solution is.3 -
Benjamin LBW for a gritty 77 (105)
249 all out. Kent lose by an innings and 2 runs1 -
Oh b*gger !
Benjamin played a heroic innings bless his heart.2 -
Embarrassing. Worse side in the country by some distance! Bigger name players in our side than most.. just not performing again2
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Expect the powers-that-maybe to announce a new three-division County Championship next season.
Division Three will contain Kent. And Kent Twos.
That's it.2 -
Really appreciate your insight & knowledge on all these issues that face our beloved county.Addick Addict said:
It's probably too easy to blame poor coaching for batting lacking technique/application and a bowling attack that is currently relying on one or two bowlers.fenaddick said:
At this point it feels like poor coachingLenGlover said:Useless. Is it poor batting, poor bowling or a combination of the two?
The batting issue has been going on for years and it is only our bowling attack in those seasons that rescued us e.g. in 2019 Stevens, Podmore and Stevens took 159 wickets between them in the CC and yet only Billings and Denly averaged over 36 - and those two only scored 870 runs between them.
These are the averages of the seven batters to have batted for us for more than 50 innings (in brackets) for Kent in the last six seasons and still playing red ball:
Compton 43.26 (99)
DBD 38.19 (83)
Muyeye 34.56 (64)
Crawley 31.91 (53)
Evison 31.21 (63)
Finch 28.23 (57)
We have to remember that some of those averages, as poor as they already are, have been skewed by the odd mammoth innings on a road. Which basically means a lot of the time sides are running through us. This is either because those batters' technique isn't up to it or they possess an inherent inability to put a value on their wicket. The proof is how many times the likes of Stevens, Stewart, Milnes, Dudgeon etc etc have rescued us over the years.
It's also easy to argue that we should get players in who will consistently score big runs or are capable of bowling a side out. The trouble is that they cost money and with something like four or five counties under or close to financial measures being foisted on them by the ECB, it's not difficult to see why this isn't possible for us. And if a county doesn't have money and is at the bottom of Div 2, why would any cricketer worth his salt move to Kent? That is why we re-signed Cohen and Quinn (who is also helping with coaching the age group bowlers so it is a dual role).
Which is why I keep coming back to the hope that those three or four youngsters coming through might ultimately be the answer. But they need time.
Crawley, if he wasn't contracted by England would even now be under pressure from Dawkins. Ekansh could turn out to be a rival to Evison with bat and ball. Jaydn might prove to be Compton's successor. Curtiss could become another decent all-rounder.
The one thing that needs to happen in the short term is to move the regularly stranded Benjamin up the order even if only to switch with Evison. Beyond that I really don't know what the short-term solution is.
Our current lack of fit bowlers & the return home of yet another "broken" overseas player is a concern & we can only hope that the medical team can work their magic speedily.
If Compton is out for the next match, maybe Dawkins will have another opportunity to show what he has in his locker as he's clearly one for the future...& maybe the present. And I really liked what I saw of Ekansh last summer.
Time to be brave & experiment ?
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I think you're being way too kind on the coaching AA.
I accept we can't compete against the larger "Test/100 ground" counties, but we've gone from Div 1 strugglers to a side who look hopeless in Div 2, losing or scraping lucky draws against equally penniless Div 2 teams like Northants and Worcs.
Something is very wrong with the setup at the moment.2 -
We can't keep blaming coaches for batters who do not have the technique or desire to occupy the crease. I repeat - these are the six season returns for our red ball batters to have been out more than 50 times:killerandflash said:I think you're being way too kind on the coaching AA.
I accept we can't compete against the larger "Test/100 ground" counties, but we've gone from Div 1 strugglers to a side who look hopeless in Div 2, losing or scraping lucky draws against equally penniless Div 2 teams like Northants and Worcs.
Something is very wrong with the setup at the moment.
Compton 43.26 (99)
DBD 38.19 (83)
Muyeye 34.56 (64)
Crawley 31.91 (53)
Evison 31.21 (63)
Finch 28.23 (57)
Let's not forget that, of those, Compton and Finch were without clubs when we signed them, Evison has yet to prove himself, Muyeye is a far better white ball batter than a red one and Crawley has a FC career average of 31.69. Coaches cannot bat for them. They have to take some responsibility.
It was always, historically, the bowlers that, invariably, won us matches despite the top order not contributing, be that with the ball or the bat late on. We lack the batters and bowlers now.
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Looks like being a repeat of last season, batting and bowling absolutely woeful! Another embarrassing season ahead.
How have we fallen so, far?0 -
no batting points from 3 matches
conceding 335 (with 2 capable seamers), 684 and 447 in the oppositions' first innings
that's either woefully inadequate squads or wholesale lack of application
DBD's option to bat at New Road was baffling
Avoiding the wooden spoon in red ball cricket will be a wonderful surprise this season.0 -
We’re shaping up to become the new Leicestershire, always at the bottom. On paper we have some decent players yet they don’t seem to blend.0
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Could be worse. The Delhi Capitals are 8-6 vs RCB
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Gloucs are about to win a game so I fear this is the reality of Div 3Briston_Addick said:Expect the powers-that-maybe to announce a new three-division County Championship next season.
Division Three will contain Kent. And Kent Twos.
That's it.0 -
Rubbish - Gloucs have got Kent come Friday.Leuth said:
Gloucs are about to win a game so I fear this is the reality of Div 3Briston_Addick said:Expect the powers-that-maybe to announce a new three-division County Championship next season.
Division Three will contain Kent. And Kent Twos.
That's it.
On second thoughts.....1 -
And we still wouldn't get a batting point in Div ThreeLeuth said:
Gloucs are about to win a game so I fear this is the reality of Div 3Briston_Addick said:Expect the powers-that-maybe to announce a new three-division County Championship next season.
Division Three will contain Kent. And Kent Twos.
That's it.
2 -
Would Norman Graham and or Kevin Jarvis still bat at 11 in the present team?1
