Grant Stewart has signed a new contract until the end of 2024
Billings has signed a new contract to the end of 2025 although his presence will still be limited by any England/franchise call ups.
Think we will see more of him. Really can't see him getting another call up for England and even his IPL career must be in doubt,
Interesting that he's no longer in the white ball squad. His best chance is as backup to Foakes in the Test team.
I think he's been in those white ball squads on reputation rather than because of what he has actually achieved. Since October 2020 he's managed just 87 runs in T20Is and 21 runs in ODIs - that's very few runs in 22 months of being in any number of white ball squads.
Grant Stewart has signed a new contract until the end of 2024
Billings has signed a new contract to the end of 2025 although his presence will still be limited by any England/franchise call ups.
Think we will see more of him. Really can't see him getting another call up for England and even his IPL career must be in doubt,
Interesting that he's no longer in the white ball squad. His best chance is as backup to Foakes in the Test team.
I think he's been in those white ball squads on reputation rather than because of what he has actually achieved. Since October 2020 he's managed just 87 runs in T20Is and 21 runs in ODIs - that's very few runs in 22 months of being in any number of white ball squads.
Think he is also seen as a great team man. Gets on well with the rest of the squad and is good to have around. Unfortunately he has been on the edge of a ODI squad who won the World Cup and really talented T20 squad, so he hasn’t really had a run in the side. He has just been parachuted in when they were short.
Grant Stewart has signed a new contract until the end of 2024
Billings has signed a new contract to the end of 2025 although his presence will still be limited by any England/franchise call ups.
Think we will see more of him. Really can't see him getting another call up for England and even his IPL career must be in doubt,
Interesting that he's no longer in the white ball squad. His best chance is as backup to Foakes in the Test team.
I think he's been in those white ball squads on reputation rather than because of what he has actually achieved. Since October 2020 he's managed just 87 runs in T20Is and 21 runs in ODIs - that's very few runs in 22 months of being in any number of white ball squads.
Think he is also seen as a great team man. Gets on well with the rest of the squad and is good to have around. Unfortunately he has been on the edge of a ODI squad who won the World Cup and really talented T20 squad, so he hasn’t really had a run in the side. He has just been parachuted in when they were short.
He's been on countless tours carrying the drinks and at the IPL too doing so. I have no doubt that he is a great team player (and a very good keeper and man manager as captain) but being away for long periods of time that hasn't done Kent many favours. He's also not as good a T20 batsman as some might think - 17.07 at 129.89 in T20Is (33 innings) and 24.32 at 130.38 in domestic T20s (221 innings) isn't really the mark of an international batsman especially when compared to the likes of De Kock - 31.86 at 134.09 and 33.13 at 138.11
Kent beat Suffolk by 140 runs. A good warm up for our challenge in the Royal London. I understand that Denly pulled out late and Singh was brought in as a result but the team below has to be up their with a chance of a decent run, especially with Saini in the side too:
It's got to really hurt Blake that as a white ball specialist, he can't get a Hundred gig. I notice he was captain today
The truth is that he hasn't been that successful in recent seasons - his lifetime T20 and 50 over averages are 20.87 and 30.35 respectively and I think he probably recognises that he might not get one though that's not to say if he hits the Royal London running and a vacancy appears that he won't get a call up.
Blake has been captaining the 2s this season. Now, whether that was a deliberate ploy with the Royal London in mind I don't know but let's not forget that Robinson was the captain last season and also skippered the side in the CC in the absence of Billings and Leaning earlier in the season. Could it be that he was going to be the captain but that he's told the management that he is leaving at the end of the season so they decided not to give it to him? It's not as if he wasn't a certainty to be in the 50 over side after all.
Interesting squad announcements for tomorrow's game.
Having pulled out late of the Suffolk game, Denly will skipper despite not wanting to do the job previously. Henry can play this one game before joining up with NZ but only two of Henry, Saini and Linde will be allowed to take the field. In the context of those missing from us and when compared to other counties, this looks, on paper, a very strong 15. I would think that, in addition to the omission of an overseas, Logan will be left out plus one other:
Even more interesting is the actual team - no Logan as predicted and Saini omitted as the third overseas but Denly "is being rested as a precaution" and Muyeye failed a fitness test so Evison is opening. Blake is skipper and we have nine bowling options albeit but Henry at 8 means we do have a bit of a tail.
Worcs won the toss and have elected to bat. Scorecard and live stream:
Even more interesting is the actual team - no Logan as predicted and Saini omitted as the third overseas but Denly "is being rested as a precaution" and Muyeye failed a fitness test so Evison is opening. Blake is skipper and we have nine bowling options albeit but Henry at 8 means we do have a bit of a tail.
Worcs won the toss and have elected to bat. Scorecard and live stream:
Surrey have 9 bowlers (only captian and keeper dont bowl). Tail starts at 5. Amar Virdi playing his first ever white ball professional match is down to bat at 8. We are already 20-2
Odly Amla not available for this comp. Burns has been "released" by his franchise to play in the RLODC (right call as he is a terrible t20 player) but has decided to "recharge his batteries for the final county championship games" rather than play.
We are captained by Ben Geddes in his 10th professional game. Whilst I think hes a great prospect thats a hell of a responsibility!
Even more interesting is the actual team - no Logan as predicted and Saini omitted as the third overseas but Denly "is being rested as a precaution" and Muyeye failed a fitness test so Evison is opening. Blake is skipper and we have nine bowling options albeit but Henry at 8 means we do have a bit of a tail.
Worcs won the toss and have elected to bat. Scorecard and live stream:
Surrey have 9 bowlers (only captian and keeper dont bowl). Tail starts at 5. Amar Virdi playing his first ever white ball professional match is down to bat at 8. We are already 20-2
Odly Amla not available for this comp. Burns has been "released" by his franchise to play in the RLODC (right call as he is a terrible t20 player) but has decided to "recharge his batteries for the final county championship games" rather than play.
We are captained by Ben Geddes in his 10th professional game. Whilst I think hes a great prospect thats a hell of a responsibility!
Sibley has also been released by his crisp franchise to play in the 50 over for the same reason!
Even more interesting is the actual team - no Logan as predicted and Saini omitted as the third overseas but Denly "is being rested as a precaution" and Muyeye failed a fitness test so Evison is opening. Blake is skipper and we have nine bowling options albeit but Henry at 8 means we do have a bit of a tail.
Worcs won the toss and have elected to bat. Scorecard and live stream:
Surrey have 9 bowlers (only captian and keeper dont bowl). Tail starts at 5. Amar Virdi playing his first ever white ball professional match is down to bat at 8. We are already 20-2
Odly Amla not available for this comp. Burns has been "released" by his franchise to play in the RLODC (right call as he is a terrible t20 player) but has decided to "recharge his batteries for the final county championship games" rather than play.
We are captained by Ben Geddes in his 10th professional game. Whilst I think hes a great prospect thats a hell of a responsibility!
Sibley has also been released by his crisp franchise to play in the 50 over for the same reason!
I think this should happen more. We have a group of players that are just getting 100 contracts (probably only small money) to carry drinks and not play. No harm in them being released to their county to play and keep match fit. Even if it is only for the odd game here or there when the schedules and locations line up. Surrey have 5 players who I reckon will be with a franchise the entire comp but not play a single game.
Even more interesting is the actual team - no Logan as predicted and Saini omitted as the third overseas but Denly "is being rested as a precaution" and Muyeye failed a fitness test so Evison is opening. Blake is skipper and we have nine bowling options albeit but Henry at 8 means we do have a bit of a tail.
Worcs won the toss and have elected to bat. Scorecard and live stream:
Surrey have 9 bowlers (only captian and keeper dont bowl). Tail starts at 5. Amar Virdi playing his first ever white ball professional match is down to bat at 8. We are already 20-2
Odly Amla not available for this comp. Burns has been "released" by his franchise to play in the RLODC (right call as he is a terrible t20 player) but has decided to "recharge his batteries for the final county championship games" rather than play.
We are captained by Ben Geddes in his 10th professional game. Whilst I think hes a great prospect thats a hell of a responsibility!
Sibley has also been released by his crisp franchise to play in the 50 over for the same reason!
I think this happens more. We have a group of players that are just getting 100 contracts (probably only small money) to carry drinks and not play. No harm in them being released to their county to play and keep match fit. Even if it is only for the odd game here or there when the schedules and locations line up. Surrey have 5 players who I reckon will be with a franchise the entire comp but not play a single game.
There are also players like Burns allocated to a franchise as England centrally contracted players which he still is at the moment. I notice Jack Leach is in the Birmingham squad, but he's not a T20 player
Kashif Ali has just reached his 50 off just 49 balls. In 2017 he played over 20 matches for Kent 2s and since then has been doing the rounds of various counties 2nd XIs and has now, at the age of 24, secured a contract with Worcs.
134-4 at half way. 98 partnership between Barnard and Ali
Funniest thing was seeing Stevens doing his impression of the "teapot" following Compton misfielding a ball on the boundary that went for four. I'm sure Stevens' drop earlier on has long since been deleted from his own memory bank!
Stevens dropped a regulation catch in the slips but Henry has now picked up a second wicket to get rid of D'Oliveira - caught by Evison
30-2 off 6.3
D'Oliveira actually hit his own wicket in playing the shot
The Umpires are sticking with "caught" in which case it's a good job Evison took the catch because D'Oliveira clearly hits his own wicket and as that is the first mode of dismissal it should, according to the Laws, take precedent so, effectively, the Umpires are saying that he didn't smash his stumps because they didn't see him do so.
36-4 - Libby caught by Blake off Henry for a duck to give the bowler figures of 3-10
Bet Worcs are really happy that they elected to bat!
On balance, yes. There are about three days a summer when I'm proud to be a Worcs fan and this is halfway towards one of them. Sadly we do have to bowl as well
Comments
Compton
Muyeye
Denly
Robinson
Blake
Stevens
Linde
Evison/Stewart
Qadri
Gilchrist/Quinn
Saini
Blake has been captaining the 2s this season. Now, whether that was a deliberate ploy with the Royal London in mind I don't know but let's not forget that Robinson was the captain last season and also skippered the side in the CC in the absence of Billings and Leaning earlier in the season. Could it be that he was going to be the captain but that he's told the management that he is leaving at the end of the season so they decided not to give it to him? It's not as if he wasn't a certainty to be in the 50 over side after all.
A good summary of who will be playing in the 50 over, and who is away
Having pulled out late of the Suffolk game, Denly will skipper despite not wanting to do the job previously. Henry can play this one game before joining up with NZ but only two of Henry, Saini and Linde will be allowed to take the field. In the context of those missing from us and when compared to other counties, this looks, on paper, a very strong 15. I would think that, in addition to the omission of an overseas, Logan will be left out plus one other:
Worcs won the toss and have elected to bat. Scorecard and live stream:
https://www.kentcricket.co.uk/fixture/worcestershire-rapids-vs-kent-spitfires-3/
30-2 off 6.3
30-3
Bet Worcs are really happy that they elected to bat!
Odly Amla not available for this comp. Burns has been "released" by his franchise to play in the RLODC (right call as he is a terrible t20 player) but has decided to "recharge his batteries for the final county championship games" rather than play.
We are captained by Ben Geddes in his 10th professional game. Whilst I think hes a great prospect thats a hell of a responsibility!
107-4 off 20
121-4 off 23
Funniest thing was seeing Stevens doing his impression of the "teapot" following Compton misfielding a ball on the boundary that went for four. I'm sure Stevens' drop earlier on has long since been deleted from his own memory bank!
Barnard caught brilliantly by Stewart of Quinn. The Kent reject known as Kashif Ali is on 96 off 89.
233-6 off 39.1
307-7 with 3 overs left