Five players (23%) taking in part in this Test - Billings, Crawley, Robinson, Smith and Labushagne - have all played in the Kent Cricket League too. That must be more than any other English Cricket League because no more than half of the Australian side have played club cricket here.
I've umpired games involving four of them; been on holiday with two of them; batted with one of them; looked after the blanket of another; been stuck in a lift with one; and been drinking in a hotel bar with another after his Ashes test winning bowling performance!
I've umpired games involving four of them; been on holiday with two of them; batted with one of them; looked after the blanket of another; been stuck in a lift with one; and been drinking in a hotel bar with another after his Ashes test winning bowling performance!
I've umpired games involving four of them; been on holiday with two of them; batted with one of them; looked after the blanket of another; been stuck in a lift with one; and been drinking in a hotel bar with another after his Ashes test winning bowling performance!
So what. I bought a can of Coke from a shop owned by the parents of one of them.
I've umpired games involving four of them; been on holiday with two of them; batted with one of them; looked after the blanket of another; been stuck in a lift with one; and been drinking in a hotel bar with another after his Ashes test winning bowling performance!
OK, I have umpired games involving Underwood (in Australia), McCague (when he was playing for Leeds & Broomfield), Headley (who was with Upchurch), and Amjad Kham (Bromley).
I've been on cricket holidays with Deadly (90/91 and 94/95 Ashes tours) and Mike Denness (93 Sri Lanka and 94 West Indies). While in SL, I batted with Mike in a game against a local over-40's team, and we put on a decent partnership in horribly humid conditions (I retired out eventually).
When I was about 10, a young Bob Woolmer (sitting with Graham Johnson, and their two girlfriends) asked me and a mate to look after their blanket at Blackheath, while watching Kent vs Surrey.
While on the 98/99 Ashes tour, I got stuck in a lift in our Brisbane hotel along with Graham Dilley. Picca was claustrophobic and started to panic, so he literally forced open the doors rather than wait to be rescued...we all climbed out and got the next lift down...
After the 1998 win at Melbourne, we drank at the team hotel until about 2am with Dean Headley (who took 6-60 in the Ozzie second innings to win the match...). Also there were Alan Mullaly, Peter Such, and Mark Butcher who played the guitar and gave us a memorable version of Wonderwall!
Some time this month. The ECB are probably bracing themselves for the flack they are likely to get if The Hundred takes centre stage again especially given that we are currently ranked the worst Test playing nation
Some time this month. The ECB are probably bracing themselves for the flack they are likely to get if The Hundred takes centre stage again especially given that we are currently ranked the worst Test playing nation
I've umpired games involving four of them; been on holiday with two of them; batted with one of them; looked after the blanket of another; been stuck in a lift with one; and been drinking in a hotel bar with another after his Ashes test winning bowling performance!
So what. I bought a can of Coke from a shop owned by the parents of one of them.
You can't leave it at that.......name drop
That would be Min Patels parents shop I presume. Was good mates with his brother.
I've umpired games involving four of them; been on holiday with two of them; batted with one of them; looked after the blanket of another; been stuck in a lift with one; and been drinking in a hotel bar with another after his Ashes test winning bowling performance!
So what. I bought a can of Coke from a shop owned by the parents of one of them.
You can't leave it at that.......name drop
That would be Min Patels parents shop I presume. Was good mates with his brother.
That's it.
He was a part time teacher at dartford grammar and taught a few of my mates cricket.
I've umpired games involving four of them; been on holiday with two of them; batted with one of them; looked after the blanket of another; been stuck in a lift with one; and been drinking in a hotel bar with another after his Ashes test winning bowling performance!
So what. I bought a can of Coke from a shop owned by the parents of one of them.
You can't leave it at that.......name drop
That would be Min Patels parents shop I presume. Was good mates with his brother.
That's it.
He was a part time teacher at dartford grammar and taught a few of my mates cricket.
I briefly was taught PE/games (but not cricket) at Dartford Grammar by a former Kent cricketer, Grahame Clinton who had moved to Surrey at that stage
I've umpired games involving four of them; been on holiday with two of them; batted with one of them; looked after the blanket of another; been stuck in a lift with one; and been drinking in a hotel bar with another after his Ashes test winning bowling performance!
So what. I bought a can of Coke from a shop owned by the parents of one of them.
You can't leave it at that.......name drop
That would be Min Patels parents shop I presume. Was good mates with his brother.
That's it.
He was a part time teacher at dartford grammar and taught a few of my mates cricket.
I briefly was taught PE/games (but not cricket) at Dartford Grammar by a former Kent cricketer, Grahame Clinton who had moved to Surrey at that stage
Me too. Was a miserable bloke in the only year I had him.
I've umpired games involving four of them; been on holiday with two of them; batted with one of them; looked after the blanket of another; been stuck in a lift with one; and been drinking in a hotel bar with another after his Ashes test winning bowling performance!
So what. I bought a can of Coke from a shop owned by the parents of one of them.
You can't leave it at that.......name drop
That would be Min Patels parents shop I presume. Was good mates with his brother.
That's it.
He was a part time teacher at dartford grammar and taught a few of my mates cricket.
I briefly was taught PE/games (but not cricket) at Dartford Grammar by a former Kent cricketer, Grahame Clinton who had moved to Surrey at that stage
Me too. Was a miserable bloke in the only year I had him.
He's always been a miserable bloke. Some 50 years ago, when he was a prefect at school, he once threatened to put me in detention. Never seen him so happy!
I've umpired games involving four of them; been on holiday with two of them; batted with one of them; looked after the blanket of another; been stuck in a lift with one; and been drinking in a hotel bar with another after his Ashes test winning bowling performance!
So what. I bought a can of Coke from a shop owned by the parents of one of them.
You can't leave it at that.......name drop
That would be Min Patels parents shop I presume. Was good mates with his brother.
That's it.
He was a part time teacher at dartford grammar and taught a few of my mates cricket.
I briefly was taught PE/games (but not cricket) at Dartford Grammar by a former Kent cricketer, Grahame Clinton who had moved to Surrey at that stage
Me too. Was a miserable bloke in the only year I had him.
To be fair, as a Kent cricketer reduced to playing for Surrey because he couldn't get in the Kent team, it's hardly surprising he was miserable!
Some time this month. The ECB are probably bracing themselves for the flack they are likely to get if The Hundred takes centre stage again especially given that we are currently ranked the worst Test playing nation
Probably too late for a drastic change to the calendar over last year
I think the original intention was to have a couple more CC games in the middle of the summer. I doubt that there will be any change from that. No doubt The Hundred "poster boy" Morgan will be wheeled out to wax lyrically about this fantastic new innovative game that makes it so much more exciting than T20!
Probably too late for a drastic change to the calendar over last year
I think the original intention was to have a couple more CC games in the middle of the summer. I doubt that there will be any change from that. No doubt The Hundred "poster boy" Morgan will be wheeled out to wax lyrically about this fantastic new innovative game that makes it so much more exciting than T20!
What can be done about the massively ridiculous and damaging Hundred?
Probably too late for a drastic change to the calendar over last year
I think the original intention was to have a couple more CC games in the middle of the summer. I doubt that there will be any change from that. No doubt The Hundred "poster boy" Morgan will be wheeled out to wax lyrically about this fantastic new innovative game that makes it so much more exciting than T20!
What can be done about the massively ridiculous and damaging Hundred?
Nothing
TV and commercial contracts are all signed, in the short term it's hear to stay
Probably too late for a drastic change to the calendar over last year
I think the original intention was to have a couple more CC games in the middle of the summer. I doubt that there will be any change from that. No doubt The Hundred "poster boy" Morgan will be wheeled out to wax lyrically about this fantastic new innovative game that makes it so much more exciting than T20!
What can be done about the massively ridiculous and damaging Hundred?
I don't think anything can. The ECB PR machine, in bribing the likes of Morgan and handing out no doubt thousands of free tickets will be in full force. Making it as uncomfortable as possible for Harrison and his bonus driven executives is about as much as we can hope for and we have to rely on the likes of Atherton, Pringle etc etc to do that.
I had a little chuckle last night as there was a Twitter exchange in which Matt Prior expressed his disgust that the cost of training and for kit was £1,000 for each of his kids. That is the norm. I reason I laughed though is that Rob Key expressed a "WOW" to hearing that - as if he really wasn't aware that this is what parents are looking at. At least this has brought it to people's attention and hopefully the ECB will be encouraged to contribute towards this. Otherwise we are going to be fishing in the same pool - in the main private school children plus a few others who have parents that can afford the money (and time) to support their children.
Probably too late for a drastic change to the calendar over last year
I think the original intention was to have a couple more CC games in the middle of the summer. I doubt that there will be any change from that. No doubt The Hundred "poster boy" Morgan will be wheeled out to wax lyrically about this fantastic new innovative game that makes it so much more exciting than T20!
What can be done about the massively ridiculous and damaging Hundred?
Nothing
TV and commercial contracts are all signed, in the short term it's hear to stay
How long for? Is there any way the massive detrimental impact be negated in any way?
Probably too late for a drastic change to the calendar over last year
I think the original intention was to have a couple more CC games in the middle of the summer. I doubt that there will be any change from that. No doubt The Hundred "poster boy" Morgan will be wheeled out to wax lyrically about this fantastic new innovative game that makes it so much more exciting than T20!
What can be done about the massively ridiculous and damaging Hundred?
Nothing
TV and commercial contracts are all signed, in the short term it's hear to stay
How long for? Is there any way the massive detrimental impact be negated in any way?
Til 2024 I believe. The only way would be if they re-negotiated a deal that would say encompass some T20, a Test and may be a few Royal London matches. But the Harrison and his mates wouldn't end up with a "share out" from the profits so it would be a bit like turkeys voting for Christmas!
Probably too late for a drastic change to the calendar over last year
I think the original intention was to have a couple more CC games in the middle of the summer. I doubt that there will be any change from that. No doubt The Hundred "poster boy" Morgan will be wheeled out to wax lyrically about this fantastic new innovative game that makes it so much more exciting than T20!
What can be done about the massively ridiculous and damaging Hundred?
Nothing
TV and commercial contracts are all signed, in the short term it's hear to stay
How long for? Is there any way the massive detrimental impact be negated in any way?
Til 2024 I believe. The only way would be if they re-negotiated a deal that would say encompass some T20, a Test and may be a few Royal London matches. But the Harrison and his mates wouldn't end up with a "share out" from the profits so it would be a bit like turkeys voting for Christmas!
Kent Men will start the 2022 season in Chelmsford with a ‘Battle of the Bridge’ four-day contest against Essex starting on Thursday 7 April, as Kent Cricket returns to Division One of the LV= Insurance County Championship.
The Club’s opening match at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence in Canterbury will be the visit of Lancashire starting on Thursday 14 April in another County Championship showdown. This will be the first of seven home first-class matches in 2022, spanning April to September.
May 2022 will see the return of Championship cricket to The County Ground, Beckenham after two Summers away, as Kent welcome oldest rivals Surrey to Metropolitan Kent from Thursday 12 May.
Kent will play a total of five Championship matches across June & July, two more than compared with 2021, and placing the County Championship back in the height of Summer – the 170th Canterbury Cricket Week will fall between Monday 11 & Thursday 14 July with the visit of Northamptonshire to The Spitfire Ground.
Canterbury will also play host to the visit of South Africa for a four-day tour match, as they continue their preparations for a Test series against England. The visitors will compete against a team comprised of the brightest homegrown talents in county cricket, a First-Class Counties Select XI, from Tuesday 9 August.
In the white-ball game, a repeat of the 2021 Vitality Blast Final will see Somerset head to ‘Fortress Canterbury’ to face title holders, the Kent Spitfires, on 25 May – the opening match of the 20th edition of England’s premier domestic T20 competition.
The reigning champions will then welcome rivals Essex Eagles to The Spitfire Ground for a Friday-night showdown, in front of a projected sell-out crowd on Friday 27 May, with the Frank Woolley Stand expected to be open once more after restoration work is completed.
Additional visits of Surrey on Bank Holiday Friday 3 June and of Sussex Sharks on Friday 24 June make for an exciting calendar of Friday night rivalry matches across Kent Spitfires’ 2022 T20 calendar.
The Royal London Cup will take priority for Kent across the month of August this coming season, with the Spitfires’ first home match against Hampshire taking place at The County Ground, Beckenham, and the visits of Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Yorkshire Vikings and Lancashire to The Spitfire Ground across a ten-day period. Fan-favourite Matt Henry will be available across all of Kent Spitfires’ matches in the 2022 Royal London Cup.
The Spitfires will also prepare for the Royal London Cup with a long-awaited one-day National County match against Suffolk on Sunday 31 July, after COVID scuppered any chances of the fixture in 2020 & 2021.
Kent Cricket’s CEO, Simon Storey, said: “The tangible excitement that comes with the announcement of fixtures means that the season will soon be upon us with a busy schedule spanning six busy months.
“Kent Members will have access to at least 43 days of cricket across all formats – this demonstrates real value for money in becoming a Kent Member for 2022 and we’re delighted to be welcoming back our Members this Summer.
“Despite concerns of COVID, we are determined to fully re-open The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence and The County Ground, Beckenham in 2022.We’re excited to be bringing premier white and red-ball cricket back to Metropolitan Kent this season, now with five days of Men’s First XI cricket at Beckenham as opposed to four in 2021.
“Unfortunately this year it hasn’t been possible to return to the picturesque Nevill Ground in Tunbridge Wells. Despite the improving picture with COVID-19, we still are required to put in place operational plans to cover all eventualities.
“With this in mind, it’s not possible to move a complex first-class cricket operation to support out-ground cricket at a third venue. We have a close working relationship with Tunbridge Wells Cricket Club, and hope to return to The Nevill in 2023.”
Kent’s Men’s Head Coach, Matt Walker, said: “There’s a real sense of excitement amongst the playing group that we can build on the successes of 2021 in this new season.
“Whilst we performed at the level we set ourselves in T20 cricket last year, a lot of work has been put in over the Winter months to continue to improve across all formats of the game. Our performances in the divisional stage of last season’s Championship show we’re a side able to compete for honours, and this season is when we look to hit the ground running in three forms of the game.
“We’re all looking forward to welcoming Kent’s passionate fans back to see their county’s top-tier professional sports team in 2022.”
Early Bird discounts on all 2022 Kent Cricket Memberships and ticket bundles will expire at 17:00 on Monday 31 January.
Comments
You can't leave it at that.......name drop
I've been on cricket holidays with Deadly (90/91 and 94/95 Ashes tours) and Mike Denness (93 Sri Lanka and 94 West Indies). While in SL, I batted with Mike in a game against a local over-40's team, and we put on a decent partnership in horribly humid conditions (I retired out eventually).
When I was about 10, a young Bob Woolmer (sitting with Graham Johnson, and their two girlfriends) asked me and a mate to look after their blanket at Blackheath, while watching Kent vs Surrey.
While on the 98/99 Ashes tour, I got stuck in a lift in our Brisbane hotel along with Graham Dilley. Picca was claustrophobic and started to panic, so he literally forced open the doors rather than wait to be rescued...we all climbed out and got the next lift down...
After the 1998 win at Melbourne, we drank at the team hotel until about 2am with Dean Headley (who took 6-60 in the Ozzie second innings to win the match...). Also there were Alan Mullaly, Peter Such, and Mark Butcher who played the guitar and gave us a memorable version of Wonderwall!
Happy days!
He was a part time teacher at dartford grammar and taught a few of
my mates cricket.
TV and commercial contracts are all signed, in the short term it's hear to stay
I had a little chuckle last night as there was a Twitter exchange in which Matt Prior expressed his disgust that the cost of training and for kit was £1,000 for each of his kids. That is the norm. I reason I laughed though is that Rob Key expressed a "WOW" to hearing that - as if he really wasn't aware that this is what parents are looking at. At least this has brought it to people's attention and hopefully the ECB will be encouraged to contribute towards this. Otherwise we are going to be fishing in the same pool - in the main private school children plus a few others who have parents that can afford the money (and time) to support their children.
Kent Men will start the 2022 season in Chelmsford with a ‘Battle of the Bridge’ four-day contest against Essex starting on Thursday 7 April, as Kent Cricket returns to Division One of the LV= Insurance County Championship.
The Club’s opening match at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence in Canterbury will be the visit of Lancashire starting on Thursday 14 April in another County Championship showdown. This will be the first of seven home first-class matches in 2022, spanning April to September.
View all Kent Cricket 2022 Men’s Fixtures
Early Bird discounts on all 2022 Kent Cricket Memberships will expire at 17:00 on Monday 31 January >>>
May 2022 will see the return of Championship cricket to The County Ground, Beckenham after two Summers away, as Kent welcome oldest rivals Surrey to Metropolitan Kent from Thursday 12 May.
Kent will play a total of five Championship matches across June & July, two more than compared with 2021, and placing the County Championship back in the height of Summer – the 170th Canterbury Cricket Week will fall between Monday 11 & Thursday 14 July with the visit of Northamptonshire to The Spitfire Ground.
Canterbury will also play host to the visit of South Africa for a four-day tour match, as they continue their preparations for a Test series against England. The visitors will compete against a team comprised of the brightest homegrown talents in county cricket, a First-Class Counties Select XI, from Tuesday 9 August.
View all Kent Cricket 2022 Men’s Fixtures
In the white-ball game, a repeat of the 2021 Vitality Blast Final will see Somerset head to ‘Fortress Canterbury’ to face title holders, the Kent Spitfires, on 25 May – the opening match of the 20th edition of England’s premier domestic T20 competition.
The reigning champions will then welcome rivals Essex Eagles to The Spitfire Ground for a Friday-night showdown, in front of a projected sell-out crowd on Friday 27 May, with the Frank Woolley Stand expected to be open once more after restoration work is completed.
Additional visits of Surrey on Bank Holiday Friday 3 June and of Sussex Sharks on Friday 24 June make for an exciting calendar of Friday night rivalry matches across Kent Spitfires’ 2022 T20 calendar.
The Royal London Cup will take priority for Kent across the month of August this coming season, with the Spitfires’ first home match against Hampshire taking place at The County Ground, Beckenham, and the visits of Northamptonshire Steelbacks, Yorkshire Vikings and Lancashire to The Spitfire Ground across a ten-day period. Fan-favourite Matt Henry will be available across all of Kent Spitfires’ matches in the 2022 Royal London Cup.
View all Kent Cricket 2022 Men’s Fixtures
The Spitfires will also prepare for the Royal London Cup with a long-awaited one-day National County match against Suffolk on Sunday 31 July, after COVID scuppered any chances of the fixture in 2020 & 2021.
Early Bird discounts on all 2022 Kent Cricket Memberships will expire at 17:00 on Monday 31 January >>>
Kent Cricket’s CEO, Simon Storey, said: “The tangible excitement that comes with the announcement of fixtures means that the season will soon be upon us with a busy schedule spanning six busy months.
“Kent Members will have access to at least 43 days of cricket across all formats – this demonstrates real value for money in becoming a Kent Member for 2022 and we’re delighted to be welcoming back our Members this Summer.
“Despite concerns of COVID, we are determined to fully re-open The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence and The County Ground, Beckenham in 2022.We’re excited to be bringing premier white and red-ball cricket back to Metropolitan Kent this season, now with five days of Men’s First XI cricket at Beckenham as opposed to four in 2021.
“Unfortunately this year it hasn’t been possible to return to the picturesque Nevill Ground in Tunbridge Wells. Despite the improving picture with COVID-19, we still are required to put in place operational plans to cover all eventualities.
“With this in mind, it’s not possible to move a complex first-class cricket operation to support out-ground cricket at a third venue. We have a close working relationship with Tunbridge Wells Cricket Club, and hope to return to The Nevill in 2023.”
Kent’s Men’s Head Coach, Matt Walker, said: “There’s a real sense of excitement amongst the playing group that we can build on the successes of 2021 in this new season.
“Whilst we performed at the level we set ourselves in T20 cricket last year, a lot of work has been put in over the Winter months to continue to improve across all formats of the game. Our performances in the divisional stage of last season’s Championship show we’re a side able to compete for honours, and this season is when we look to hit the ground running in three forms of the game.
“We’re all looking forward to welcoming Kent’s passionate fans back to see their county’s top-tier professional sports team in 2022.”
Early Bird discounts on all 2022 Kent Cricket Memberships and ticket bundles will expire at 17:00 on Monday 31 January.