Kent have recruited South African all-rounder Vernon Philander for their Friends Life t20 campaign.
Philander is seen as one of the world's top bowlers, with his Test average of 17.13 significantly better than that of the current second placed player and countryman Dale Steyn (22.65).
In addition to a staggering 89 wickets in his first 16 matches in Test cricket, Philander claimed 50 wickets in his first seven matches - the second-fastest rate in Test history - and has two Test 50s with the bat.
Philander, who turned 28 on Monday, tweeted at the end of his birthday: "Thanks again for all the kind messages. Had a great day. Sad time again packing and saying bye to friends and family. See u soon #kentccc."
"We are about to announce, I hope, an overseas signing." Kent chief executive Jamie Clifford revealed the club were hopeful of tying up a signing this week ahead of the opening t20 clash of the campaign against Middlesex on Friday (7pm) without naming who the player was.
Speaking in his monthly video blog Mr Clifford said: "We are about to announce, I hope, an overseas signing. We are just waiting on visa details and no objections from the country the player is coming from.
"Assuming those things are in place, that player should arrive (this week)."
Philander took 15 wickets in a three-Test series against Pakistan in February but only two in four t20 games for the Cape Cobras the following month.
He is yet to replicate his Test success in one-day cricket, claiming seven wickets in eight ODIs for South Africa and four wickets in seven t20 games, and was left out of the South African squad for the ICC Champions Trophy.
Philander is no stranger to Canterbury having helped the tourists record a draw there last July.
Thoroughly depressed after this. Left home at 5.30pm, arrived back at 11.50 for a 20/20 game reduced to 12 overs.
Weather ruined what could have been a nail biting game - which it was in the end- with the Spitfires gaining a worthy victory.
The fact was that our initial 5 overs were blighted by constant drizzle before the umpires decided that enough was enough and took the players off. On resumption, the match was reduced to 15 overs each with out lads posting a decent score.
When Middx went in to bat, further rain then reduced the game to 12 overs and their target was 110. Enter stage left, Mr Philander who proceeded to stun the visitors with his 4wkts for 8 runs and we thought this was the beginninng of the end for them. Sadly, young Sam Billings behind the wicket showed his lack of experience with 3 balls going to the boundary that Geraint would undoubtedly have stopped. Sam Northeast dropped a vital catch and alas the Middx batsmen couldn't stop scoring 6's ....with Coles' bowling sadly lacking. The rest is history and a very disappointed home "crowd" made their way home with thoughts of what should have been.
We can only hope that normal service is resumed on Sunday when the "usual" home win against Slurry is gained....
Thanks Fanny. Taking on board your comments re Billings' keeping, I had a look at his record for his club, Hartley, this season from which I was somewhat surprised to see he has kept actually once in five matches. If he truly is our understudy he should be keeping week in week out.
the loss was down to 2 things 1) Coles atrocious bowling and sadly our captaincy, with 3 overs remaining, Coles bowled his first over conceeding 19 runs, unfortunately Claydon our death bowler had 2 overs remaining.This meant he didn't bowl his allocation out.If he had bowled the 9th over instead of coles we would have won. ( Game was reduced to 11 overs no 12).But to be 27-4 we let them off the hook and given Philander's figures to lose that game is not much short of a disgrace.
Kent Cricket star Vernon Philander takes four wickets for eight runs on debut but Spitfires lose to Middlesex by four wickets
by Alex Hoad ahoad@thekmgroup.co.uk
Kent's new signing Vernon Philander made a stunning debut but the Spitfires somehow lost a rain-shortened Friends Life t20 clash with Middlesex by four wickets on Friday night.
The Panthers won the toss and put Kent in to bat at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, but the match was hit by two rain delays which limited Kent to 15 overs in the middle and then the visitors to 12 in their reply.
Kent made 129-5 with Sam Billings - keeping wicket in the place of the rested Geraint Jones - and Darren Stevens scoring 26 apiece - Stevens' knock typically coming from 10 balls and including a six and four fours.
Philander made a nice cameo of 13 from seven balls with the bat, including a delicious glance over the keeper's head from the final delivery for four.
The South African then made an immediate impact with the ball with a superb wicket-maiden to open the innings, smashing Paul Stirling's stumps apart with the fourth ball of the over.
His second over was nearly as impressive, as he tempted former Kent man Joe Denly into nicking one fizzer behind, with Billings making a smart diving catch.
Despite Philander's 12th delivery being rattled away for six by Dawid Malan, the Capetonian got his revenge when he got Malan (18) to sky one to Mitch Claydon near the boundary and make it 27-3 from 4.3 overs.
Just two balls later Aussie Adam Voges drilled one straight to Stevens at mid-off to give Philander his fourth scalp for the concession of just eight runs.
Kent were firmly in the ascendancy with overs running out, with Middesex 35/4 after six overs, needing 76 more runs to win from the remaining half of their innings, however back-to-back sixes off James Tredwell from skipper and ex-Kent man Neil Dexter gave the visitors some momentum as 35 runs were added in the seventh and eighth overs.
Dexter went for 13, caught by Billings off Stevens after a wildly miscued shot, but 20-year-old keeper Adam Rossington produced a virtuoso display to see his side over the line.
Kent still looked favourites with three overs remaining and the visitors needing 36 to win, however 17 came off Matt Coles' first over and eight from the penultimate over from Claydon, meaning the Panthers needed 11 from Coles' final six deliveries to win.
Rossington hit the second ball for four and then brought up the victory with a six - his third - from the fourth ball to see Middlesex home with two balls to spare and finish with a 20-ball 41.
the loss was down to 2 things 1) Coles atrocious bowling and sadly our captaincy, with 3 overs remaining, Coles bowled his first over conceeding 19 runs, unfortunately Claydon our death bowler had 2 overs remaining.This meant he didn't bowl his allocation out.If he had bowled the 9th over instead of coles we would have won. ( Game was reduced to 11 overs no 12).But to be 27-4 we let them off the hook and given Philander's figures to lose that game is not much short of a disgrace.
Don't think anyone could figure why Claydon was only given 1 over...carrying an injury ?
Anyone go tonight? Awful performance. Bowling was average although Tredders was excellent again. Fielding was just horrendous, lots of overthrows and extras. And well the batting was just ghastly. What is the point of the likes of Harmison (came in at N.8) and Blake? Better off giving someone like Cowdrey or Bell-Drummond a go. Still think we could do with Mark Davies in the bowling attack as well.
Not too sure about lots of overthrows & extras...no wides as far as I know compared to at least 6 for Essex
But it was a very depressing performance especially with the bat. No-one really looked up for it - running between the wickets was lethargic at best & too many attempts at 6's were caught well inside the boundary rope.
Such as a shame as the crowd was ready to get behind the lads ...but they gave us so little to get excited about. Not sure I'll be making the trip any more this season especially as the football is about to start & need to save my pennies for those away trips.
Probably means they'll start winning from now on !
Not too sure about lots of overthrows & extras...no wides as far as I know compared to at least 6 for Essex
But it was a very depressing performance especially with the bat. No-one really looked up for it - running between the wickets was lethargic at best & too many attempts at 6's were caught well inside the boundary rope.
Such as a shame as the crowd was ready to get behind the lads ...but they gave us so little to get excited about. Not sure I'll be making the trip any more this season especially as the football is about to start & need to save my pennies for those away trips.
Probably means they'll start winning from now on !
Might have been a bit harsh...do remember a few mis-fields though! Probably just peed off with the result!
Not too sure about lots of overthrows & extras...no wides as far as I know compared to at least 6 for Essex
But it was a very depressing performance especially with the bat. No-one really looked up for it - running between the wickets was lethargic at best & too many attempts at 6's were caught well inside the boundary rope.
Such as a shame as the crowd was ready to get behind the lads ...but they gave us so little to get excited about. Not sure I'll be making the trip any more this season especially as the football is about to start & need to save my pennies for those away trips.
Probably means they'll start winning from now on !
Might have been a bit harsh...do remember a few mis-fields though! Probably just peed off with the result!
Me too , mate ! At least we can switch off the TV if it all starts to go wrong again when they play Essex again on Monday night .....
That was probably up there with the most shocking performance's I've seen by a kent team in t20. To relegate harmison to number 8 clearly shows what kind of confidence the captain and coach have on him as a player.
I can confidently say this season has been the worst season I have ever witnessed. Bottom of the four day cricket, out of the t20's before its even started and just about in with a shout in the cb40.
This isn't the first time the team has embarrased themselves and the fans this season.
Certainly Won't be making the trip to canterbury anytime soon.
Kent Spitfires suffered their third straight home defeat in Friends Life t20 South Division with a tame 47-run surrender against Essex Eagles on Friday night. Kent skipper James Tredwell won the toss and chose to bowl first and it was the spinner who led by example, helping slow down a quick-start from the visitors to put Kent on top.
However a six-laden blast of 59 from Owais Shah steered the Eagles to a total of 164-6 and stifling bowling from the likes of Graham Napier, Shaun Tait and teen sensation Reece Topley left Kent chasing the game and wickets flowed faster than boundaries as they were bowled out for 117 with more than two overs remaining.
In glorious sunshine and infront of a bumper crowd of over 5,000, Vernon Philander made the breakthrough with the first ball of the fourth over as he got Greg Smith to hack onto his own stumps for a breezy 19 and make it 34-1.
Despite the run-rate remaining high, Tredwell picked up a wicket within three balls of coming in two overs later, getting Napier to loft one down the throat of Alex Blake infront of the Woolley Stand to make it 52-2.
Tredwell was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 1-19 from his four overs.
Hamish Rutherford smashed sixes off Philander and Matt Coles in an 18-ball 29 but was annoyed when given out LBW to Adam Riley to make it 55-3. Riley had bowled the Kiwi for a duck in the t20 warm-up game at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, two weeks previously.
Darren Stevens struck with his first ball when he tempted Ravi Bopara into edging behind to Sam Billings for eight to make it 75-4.
Shah made it his personal mission to keep the run-rate up as it looked like Kent were turning the screw, hitting sixes off Riley and two off Stevens, eventually finishing with six.
Ryan Ten Doeschate made a solid 31 from 23 balls before he was run-out amid confusion with Shah, with Billings and Philander combining well to get the bails off at the bowler’s end.
With eight balls remaining Shah dragged one on from Mitch Claydon after a fine 37-ball knock.
The reply got off to the worst possible start as Sam Northeast walked across his stumps to get trapped LBW with the first ball from Napier.
Tait took the ball at the other end and the duo provided a stiff test in the early stages as the run-rate required headed up towards 10.
Kent laboured to 30-1 at the end of the powerplay, whereas Essex had been 50-1 from the same six overs.
Billings (15) attempted to club Topley away, only to hole-out to a diving Greg Smith in the deep, which brought in Stevens for his 100th FLt20 batting appearance – the 37-year-old being the first to achieve the milestone.
Despite huge pressure on his shoulders Stevens produced another accomplished blitz with two fours and a mighty six but he had only been there for 10 balls when he pulled a Ravi Bopara delivery onto his stumps to depart for 19.
Kent were 61-3 with 11 overs remaining and Alex Blake upped the run-rate with a big six and a four to follow it up.
However Key skied one to Smith off Tim Phillips for 26 from 30 balls to leave Kent at 82-4 after 11.0 overs and Blake followed suit, caught by Topley off Phillips, to leave Kent on 93-5.
From then on the visitors ran-riot with Coles, Ben Harmison, Tredwell and Claydon departing for single figures as the final four wickets fell for the addition of just six runs.
Napier took the last two in successive deliveries to finish with 3-12 and Tople took 3-19. Bopara and Phillips took two apiece.
Basement-boys Kent visit Middlesex at Uxbridge on Sunday afternoon before a trip to Essex on Monday night.
I went along to the game at Uxbridge (a 15 min walk for me...). Kent didn't have a lot to offer in the field and were at least 40 short with the bat. They looked very short of confidence and one or two of their players were heard moaning about the track...which was a bit slow and low but that's all. You know it's not your day when the opposition opening bat (Rossington) top edges a sweep over the keeper's head and onto the top of the sightscreen for six! After a few balls to settle in, Rossington took the game away from Kent with his innings.
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Kent have recruited South African all-rounder Vernon Philander for their Friends Life t20 campaign.
Philander is seen as one of the world's top bowlers, with his Test average of 17.13 significantly better than that of the current second placed player and countryman Dale Steyn (22.65).
In addition to a staggering 89 wickets in his first 16 matches in Test cricket, Philander claimed 50 wickets in his first seven matches - the second-fastest rate in Test history - and has two Test 50s with the bat.
Philander, who turned 28 on Monday, tweeted at the end of his birthday: "Thanks again for all the kind messages. Had a great day. Sad time again packing and saying bye to friends and family. See u soon #kentccc."
"We are about to announce, I hope, an overseas signing."
Kent chief executive Jamie Clifford revealed the club were hopeful of tying up a signing this week ahead of the opening t20 clash of the campaign against Middlesex on Friday (7pm) without naming who the player was.
Speaking in his monthly video blog Mr Clifford said: "We are about to announce, I hope, an overseas signing. We are just waiting on visa details and no objections from the country the player is coming from.
"Assuming those things are in place, that player should arrive (this week)."
Philander took 15 wickets in a three-Test series against Pakistan in February but only two in four t20 games for the Cape Cobras the following month.
He is yet to replicate his Test success in one-day cricket, claiming seven wickets in eight ODIs for South Africa and four wickets in seven t20 games, and was left out of the South African squad for the ICC Champions Trophy.
Philander is no stranger to Canterbury having helped the tourists record a draw there last July.
t20-South Group
Essex v Kent
SkySports 2 7pm.
&
Monday 29th July:
t20-South Group
Kent v Hampshire
SS1 7pm.
Hoping to go to the match on Friday evening and taking the family next Sunday for the first time. Got to be the kiss of death....
Weather ruined what could have been a nail biting game - which it was in the end- with the Spitfires gaining a worthy victory.
The fact was that our initial 5 overs were blighted by constant drizzle before the umpires decided that enough was enough and took the players off. On resumption, the match was reduced to 15 overs each with out lads posting a decent score.
When Middx went in to bat, further rain then reduced the game to 12 overs and their target was 110. Enter stage left, Mr Philander who proceeded to stun the visitors with his 4wkts for 8 runs and we thought this was the beginninng of the end for them. Sadly, young Sam Billings behind the wicket showed his lack of experience with 3 balls going to the boundary that Geraint would undoubtedly have stopped. Sam Northeast dropped a vital catch and alas the Middx batsmen couldn't stop scoring 6's ....with Coles' bowling sadly lacking. The rest is history and a very disappointed home "crowd" made their way home with thoughts of what should have been.
We can only hope that normal service is resumed on Sunday when the "usual" home win against Slurry is gained....
Kent Cricket star Vernon Philander takes four wickets for eight runs on debut but Spitfires lose to Middlesex by four wickets
by Alex Hoad
ahoad@thekmgroup.co.uk
Kent's new signing Vernon Philander made a stunning debut but the Spitfires somehow lost a rain-shortened Friends Life t20 clash with Middlesex by four wickets on Friday night.
The Panthers won the toss and put Kent in to bat at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, but the match was hit by two rain delays which limited Kent to 15 overs in the middle and then the visitors to 12 in their reply.
Kent made 129-5 with Sam Billings - keeping wicket in the place of the rested Geraint Jones - and Darren Stevens scoring 26 apiece - Stevens' knock typically coming from 10 balls and including a six and four fours.
Philander made a nice cameo of 13 from seven balls with the bat, including a delicious glance over the keeper's head from the final delivery for four.
The South African then made an immediate impact with the ball with a superb wicket-maiden to open the innings, smashing Paul Stirling's stumps apart with the fourth ball of the over.
His second over was nearly as impressive, as he tempted former Kent man Joe Denly into nicking one fizzer behind, with Billings making a smart diving catch.
Despite Philander's 12th delivery being rattled away for six by Dawid Malan, the Capetonian got his revenge when he got Malan (18) to sky one to Mitch Claydon near the boundary and make it 27-3 from 4.3 overs.
Just two balls later Aussie Adam Voges drilled one straight to Stevens at mid-off to give Philander his fourth scalp for the concession of just eight runs.
Kent were firmly in the ascendancy with overs running out, with Middesex 35/4 after six overs, needing 76 more runs to win from the remaining half of their innings, however back-to-back sixes off James Tredwell from skipper and ex-Kent man Neil Dexter gave the visitors some momentum as 35 runs were added in the seventh and eighth overs.
Dexter went for 13, caught by Billings off Stevens after a wildly miscued shot, but 20-year-old keeper Adam Rossington produced a virtuoso display to see his side over the line.
Kent still looked favourites with three overs remaining and the visitors needing 36 to win, however 17 came off Matt Coles' first over and eight from the penultimate over from Claydon, meaning the Panthers needed 11 from Coles' final six deliveries to win.
Rossington hit the second ball for four and then brought up the victory with a six - his third - from the fourth ball to see Middlesex home with two balls to spare and finish with a 20-ball 41.
Not too sure about lots of overthrows & extras...no wides as far as I know compared to at least 6 for Essex
But it was a very depressing performance especially with the bat. No-one really looked up for it - running between the wickets was lethargic at best & too many attempts at 6's were caught well inside the boundary rope.
Such as a shame as the crowd was ready to get behind the lads ...but they gave us so little to get excited about. Not sure I'll be making the trip any more this season especially as the football is about to start & need to save my pennies for those away trips.
Probably means they'll start winning from now on !
I can confidently say this season has been the worst season I have ever witnessed.
Bottom of the four day cricket, out of the t20's before its even started and just about in with a shout in the cb40.
This isn't the first time the team has embarrased themselves and the fans this season.
Certainly Won't be making the trip to canterbury anytime soon.
Kent Spitfires suffered their third straight home defeat in Friends Life t20 South Division with a tame 47-run surrender against Essex Eagles on Friday night.
Kent skipper James Tredwell won the toss and chose to bowl first and it was the spinner who led by example, helping slow down a quick-start from the visitors to put Kent on top.
However a six-laden blast of 59 from Owais Shah steered the Eagles to a total of 164-6 and stifling bowling from the likes of Graham Napier, Shaun Tait and teen sensation Reece Topley left Kent chasing the game and wickets flowed faster than boundaries as they were bowled out for 117 with more than two overs remaining.
In glorious sunshine and infront of a bumper crowd of over 5,000, Vernon Philander made the breakthrough with the first ball of the fourth over as he got Greg Smith to hack onto his own stumps for a breezy 19 and make it 34-1.
Despite the run-rate remaining high, Tredwell picked up a wicket within three balls of coming in two overs later, getting Napier to loft one down the throat of Alex Blake infront of the Woolley Stand to make it 52-2.
Tredwell was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 1-19 from his four overs.
Hamish Rutherford smashed sixes off Philander and Matt Coles in an 18-ball 29 but was annoyed when given out LBW to Adam Riley to make it 55-3. Riley had bowled the Kiwi for a duck in the t20 warm-up game at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, two weeks previously.
Darren Stevens struck with his first ball when he tempted Ravi Bopara into edging behind to Sam Billings for eight to make it 75-4.
Shah made it his personal mission to keep the run-rate up as it looked like Kent were turning the screw, hitting sixes off Riley and two off Stevens, eventually finishing with six.
Ryan Ten Doeschate made a solid 31 from 23 balls before he was run-out amid confusion with Shah, with Billings and Philander combining well to get the bails off at the bowler’s end.
With eight balls remaining Shah dragged one on from Mitch Claydon after a fine 37-ball knock.
The reply got off to the worst possible start as Sam Northeast walked across his stumps to get trapped LBW with the first ball from Napier.
Tait took the ball at the other end and the duo provided a stiff test in the early stages as the run-rate required headed up towards 10.
Kent laboured to 30-1 at the end of the powerplay, whereas Essex had been 50-1 from the same six overs.
Billings (15) attempted to club Topley away, only to hole-out to a diving Greg Smith in the deep, which brought in Stevens for his 100th FLt20 batting appearance – the 37-year-old being the first to achieve the milestone.
Despite huge pressure on his shoulders Stevens produced another accomplished blitz with two fours and a mighty six but he had only been there for 10 balls when he pulled a Ravi Bopara delivery onto his stumps to depart for 19.
Kent were 61-3 with 11 overs remaining and Alex Blake upped the run-rate with a big six and a four to follow it up.
However Key skied one to Smith off Tim Phillips for 26 from 30 balls to leave Kent at 82-4 after 11.0 overs and Blake followed suit, caught by Topley off Phillips, to leave Kent on 93-5.
From then on the visitors ran-riot with Coles, Ben Harmison, Tredwell and Claydon departing for single figures as the final four wickets fell for the addition of just six runs.
Napier took the last two in successive deliveries to finish with 3-12 and Tople took 3-19. Bopara and Phillips took two apiece.
Basement-boys Kent visit Middlesex at Uxbridge on Sunday afternoon before a trip to Essex on Monday night.
Oh dear .
Kent Cricket @kentcricket
After 8 overs Middlesex are 82/0
Rossington 58*
After 10 overs Middx 102/0.
After 14 overs Middx 127/1.
And on Sky for all to see tomorrow....
64-3 off 6.
144-5 (15.4).