Utterly sick of this cricket season. Whoever the bright spark was who didn't use Chahal against Notts and thought an alternative bowler today wasn't necessary needs a new career path. Today is day two and given our batting, it feels as is Somerset already have enough to declare.
A pigs ear of a season. We let Robinson go, then Billings says he doesn’t fancy red ball anymore. Add to this, now Jordan Cox is on his bike. Equally, why does Blake seem to me massively underemployed. Is it the case now, where crossover is not an option.
Strange what's been going on.. Always thought Walker was a popular bloke, and always speaks well.. Clearly something not right, not sure if him or Downton..
To be honest, cricket is going to become more like football soon, it will have managers, and coach system and player trading being a bigger thing. It has already started to happen with squads for different formats of the game!
Don't know Cook as a person, but doesn't come across as someone with a strong personality or a leader for that matter.
Billings from my understanding, has just totally falling out of love of cricket, too much travelling around and carrying drinks.
Counties like Kent, must be worrying about the future and the direction the domestic cricket is heading
Not sure why anyone is bothered, would much rather see kent go down than struggling season after season in division 1. The club needs a whole fresh start and it won’t get that all the time we are struggling in the top division with players who aren’t quite good enough for it.
Not sure why anyone is bothered, would much rather see kent go down than struggling season after season in division 1. The club needs a whole fresh start and it won’t get that all the time we are struggling in the top division with players who aren’t quite good enough for it.
Mainly because a) I don't like seeing my teams relegated, b) there are unlikely to be major changes, and of those few will be improvements, and given how poor we have been this season, the current squad are going to struggle in division 2.
Strange what's been going on.. Always thought Walker was a popular bloke, and always speaks well.. Clearly something not right, not sure if him or Downton..
To be honest, cricket is going to become more like football soon, it will have managers, and coach system and player trading being a bigger thing. It has already started to happen with squads for different formats of the game!
Don't know Cook as a person, but doesn't come across as someone with a strong personality or a leader for that matter.
Billings from my understanding, has just totally falling out of love of cricket, too much travelling around and carrying drinks.
Counties like Kent, must be worrying about the future and the direction the domestic cricket is heading
Sadly cricket has changed in a not too dissimilar way to football. Growing up, my and my peers' affinity for Kent would be Underwood, Knott, Asif, Shepherd, Woolmer for Kent and matched by the likes of Hales, Flanagan, Peacock, Powell, Curtis etc for Charlton. Who are those modern day heroes, now that Stevens has left us, currently at Kent who have done it, season in season out? Who are the Charlton players who have played over 100 games for us? At the start of the season there wasn't a single one let alone the 300 plus matches that all of the players I mentioned did.
Billings probably has fallen out of love with cricket and doesn't like the idea of carrying drinks. For years, though, he was only too happy to do so - for England and in the IPL. He has been in appalling form this season for Kent - 92 runs in the CC from 10 innings at an average of 9.20 and 228 runs from 18 innings at an average of 18.41 in The Blast. That's 310 runs for a guy who is the Club Captain and almost certainly highest paid player with two years of his contract to run. Combine those two factors and it really isn't surprising that he is a bit disillusioned. Billings asked for time off to clear his head earlier this season and went off to Amsterdam to watch Colplay with Jos Buttler. At the end of those three weeks he came back and played his first 2s game of the season - the Friday before The Hundred so with no benefit to Kent as such. He went on to play and captain every single one of the Oval Invincible's matches. They won the competition too. No sign that he wasn't enjoying the playing or the media attention before and after every one of those matches.
For years, Billings has played lip service in playing for Kent (just 21 CC matches in the last five seasons in total and not played more than eight games in any one of the last eight seasons). When there was a sniff of the chance of playing for England he pulled rank on Ollie Robinson which caused the latter to leave us. Cox has now chosen to go - by all accounts there was only one thing that he wanted and that had nothing to do with money. I believe, although this hasn't been confirmed, that he wanted the gloves and Kent were prepared to commit to that. Some are saying that Cox won't get them at Essex to which his father's response on social media has been "watch this space".
None of the above, in isolation, are crimes. The issue is that when one looks at those in their totality it does rather look like he has used Kent for his own ends. I'm not sure that I buy his proclamation at the start of the season that he chose to forego the IPL for Kent - his chance of getting a contract were minimal. Now comes the time to be a presence in the Kent dressing room but in two consecutive games he has chosen to be elsewhere at corporate cricket and golf events (with the permission of the Club). Perhaps, if he really has had enough, he should just walk away from the final two years of his contract with our thanks even though his uncommitted presence and his own career aims has cost us two of the three best young players we have produced in the last decade. I'm not suggesting for one minute that his actions were deliberate in that respect and that he meant to edge them out of the Club. Those players' departures were by-products though and the very least he could be doing right now is to visibly support the County, in its hour of need, that has allowed him to be a pro for the last 14 years.
When Jas Singh was 14 he badly broke his wrist, had to have two operations and a plate inserted and missed the whole of that season. However, Jas turned up for each and every one of his colt sides' games and helped where he could including by scoring. When Seb broke his thumb this season and was out for six weeks, he went to every first team game too, supported the lads home and away, acted as 12th man by bringing the drinks and gloves on etc etc. He isn't paid and even got fined, as the players do, for being injured! Sometimes professional sportsmen (and they are paid to work) need a bit of a reality check and to look at the bigger picture. Whether Billings is one of those who has only really been looking after number one only he will really know.
I suspect that Downton has seen the writing on the wall hence not wanting to extend his contract and the need for a shake up - something that, possibly, he didn't feel he could offer given his association with some of the issues that have evolved. Cook should, perhaps, look to finding 18 slightly inferior players committed to give their all, week in week out, supplemented by a couple of top quality overseas players. The team might then become the sum of the total.
Warwickshire 180-6 from 95-6. A lead of 59 over Middlesex who now have two bonus points but require three more wickets for that maximum third bonus point in the next 55 overs.
No play in the Kent game today. Rain has also stopped play at Lord's but the good news is that the 7th wickets stand between Rhodes (96) and Briggs (71) has progressed to 133 with Warwickshire 228-6 off 64 overs for a lead of 107
No play anywhere at the moment. Indeed the games at Lancashire and Derbyshire are still to start.
Exactly 40 years ago, the CC started on 30th April and finished on 13th September. This season commenced on 6th April and will finish on 29th September. That's 40 extra days at either end of the season with potentially the most un-cricket like conditions when six (or 43% of the total fixtures) are currently being played. All to fit in a Mickey Mouse of a competition to the total detriment of future Test batsmen and spinners.
What an absolute pig's ear the powers that be have made of cricket in recent years, and is there any indication of something improving/lessons learned in the foreseeable future ?
As for what's been going on at our beloved county's HQ....the less said the better.
And not for the first ( and hopefully not the last time ) AA has seemingly nailed the sad tale for us to read & weep.
Maybe a group of the Kent faithful could form a cunning plan to kidnap a certain Mr Key, tie him to a (substantial) chair, dangle steaming, fragrant burgers tantalisingly in his direction and make him listen to those who care ( and pay their money) until he wilts and agrees to kick some butt, and worse, to ensure that this historic & proud cricketing county does not wither & die.
I honestly don't know how many more years we'll be able to drive to Canterbury , or indeed to SE7, to watch the teams we support & love.
But I am beginning to wonder whether we'll see anything positively changing before we both fall off the perch...
No chance of winning the game now. A double declaration wouldn't suit us as we'd sacrifice any bonus points (with little chance of beating Somerset anyway), so I can see Somerset batting on (and us trying to bowl them out before 110 overs) and then us trying to get some batting points (and Somerset some bowling points) at some point.
Well you can't say that Billings is shy when it comes to telling the world of his movements - The Hurlingham Club this morning and then at the Allianz Arena to watch his beloved Man United get beaten by Bayern Munich. Beats a rainy few days in Taunton I suppose.
It seems that Billings' absence has been noted by more than the odd supporter and he had this exchange with a couple of Tweeters referencing the fact that he is in Germany.
Tweeter 1 - "Have a safe journey back to Taunton Sam! I’m sure the lads need your support too Captain"
Billings - "Knew someone would say this… Wasn’t selected in the squad so was allowed the week off. Anything else?"
Tweeter 2 - "Must be more to the story of not being selected, Sam? White ball only coming I'd assume?"
I just don't get it. Billings previously asked for time off, presumably to get his head together when he was dropped in June but then was able to play every game, travelling around the country, for the Oval Invincibles. And now he's asked for more time off so he can do what he wants to while his Club is fighting relegation. If he wasn't the Club Captain it wouldn't be so much an issue but he is being paid to be just that.
Clearly there is some sort of rift between Billings and the Club as both seem to agree that he is better off not being near the team. In the course of the next week or so, presumably, we will have some clarity about his position.
I have to be honest. The more I see of this Billings affair, the more I am cast back to the heady days of Lyle Taylor refusing to play while still under contract. If we are paying him, as captain he should be with the team. If he's on his holidays, maybe it's time he took stock of how badly he's batted this summer, and how little he has contributed, and maybe consider walking away from a contract he seems to hold in utter contempt. I freely admit I loathe the Hundred, so seeing Sam travelling with the Invincibles round the country in that circus, while really doing very little for kent just rubs me up the wrong way anyway. But we have lost a couple of great looking players who were pushed out to accomodate someone who seems to feel his Kent contract just keeps him cosy while he pursues the things that are actually important to him. And if that's the case, it's time he politely renounced his contract and went wherever he actually feels like playing.
The Billings situation is baffling, but no more than many of the other things going on at the moment at Kent, in terms of team selection and recruitment. And the dismal batting for much of the season.
Comments
Equally, why does Blake seem to me massively underemployed. Is it the case now, where crossover is not an option.
To be honest, cricket is going to become more like football soon, it will have managers, and coach system and player trading being a bigger thing. It has already started to happen with squads for different formats of the game!
Don't know Cook as a person, but doesn't come across as someone with a strong personality or a leader for that matter.
Billings from my understanding, has just totally falling out of love of cricket, too much travelling around and carrying drinks.
Counties like Kent, must be worrying about the future and the direction the domestic cricket is heading
Billings probably has fallen out of love with cricket and doesn't like the idea of carrying drinks. For years, though, he was only too happy to do so - for England and in the IPL. He has been in appalling form this season for Kent - 92 runs in the CC from 10 innings at an average of 9.20 and 228 runs from 18 innings at an average of 18.41 in The Blast. That's 310 runs for a guy who is the Club Captain and almost certainly highest paid player with two years of his contract to run. Combine those two factors and it really isn't surprising that he is a bit disillusioned. Billings asked for time off to clear his head earlier this season and went off to Amsterdam to watch Colplay with Jos Buttler. At the end of those three weeks he came back and played his first 2s game of the season - the Friday before The Hundred so with no benefit to Kent as such. He went on to play and captain every single one of the Oval Invincible's matches. They won the competition too. No sign that he wasn't enjoying the playing or the media attention before and after every one of those matches.
For years, Billings has played lip service in playing for Kent (just 21 CC matches in the last five seasons in total and not played more than eight games in any one of the last eight seasons). When there was a sniff of the chance of playing for England he pulled rank on Ollie Robinson which caused the latter to leave us. Cox has now chosen to go - by all accounts there was only one thing that he wanted and that had nothing to do with money. I believe, although this hasn't been confirmed, that he wanted the gloves and Kent were prepared to commit to that. Some are saying that Cox won't get them at Essex to which his father's response on social media has been "watch this space".
None of the above, in isolation, are crimes. The issue is that when one looks at those in their totality it does rather look like he has used Kent for his own ends. I'm not sure that I buy his proclamation at the start of the season that he chose to forego the IPL for Kent - his chance of getting a contract were minimal. Now comes the time to be a presence in the Kent dressing room but in two consecutive games he has chosen to be elsewhere at corporate cricket and golf events (with the permission of the Club). Perhaps, if he really has had enough, he should just walk away from the final two years of his contract with our thanks even though his uncommitted presence and his own career aims has cost us two of the three best young players we have produced in the last decade. I'm not suggesting for one minute that his actions were deliberate in that respect and that he meant to edge them out of the Club. Those players' departures were by-products though and the very least he could be doing right now is to visibly support the County, in its hour of need, that has allowed him to be a pro for the last 14 years.
When Jas Singh was 14 he badly broke his wrist, had to have two operations and a plate inserted and missed the whole of that season. However, Jas turned up for each and every one of his colt sides' games and helped where he could including by scoring. When Seb broke his thumb this season and was out for six weeks, he went to every first team game too, supported the lads home and away, acted as 12th man by bringing the drinks and gloves on etc etc. He isn't paid and even got fined, as the players do, for being injured! Sometimes professional sportsmen (and they are paid to work) need a bit of a reality check and to look at the bigger picture. Whether Billings is one of those who has only really been looking after number one only he will really know.
I suspect that Downton has seen the writing on the wall hence not wanting to extend his contract and the need for a shake up - something that, possibly, he didn't feel he could offer given his association with some of the issues that have evolved. Cook should, perhaps, look to finding 18 slightly inferior players committed to give their all, week in week out, supplemented by a couple of top quality overseas players. The team might then become the sum of the total.
I love it (oh yeah)
Anyone remember this classic from the seventies? (Halcyon days of Asif iqbal, deadly Derek, Alan Knott and the unbearable Chris Tavare.
DEFINITELY off my Xmas card list now.
Tweeter 2 - "Must be more to the story of not being selected, Sam? White ball only coming I'd assume?"
I just don't get it. Billings previously asked for time off, presumably to get his head together when he was dropped in June but then was able to play every game, travelling around the country, for the Oval Invincibles. And now he's asked for more time off so he can do what he wants to while his Club is fighting relegation. If he wasn't the Club Captain it wouldn't be so much an issue but he is being paid to be just that.
Clearly there is some sort of rift between Billings and the Club as both seem to agree that he is better off not being near the team. In the course of the next week or so, presumably, we will have some clarity about his position.
316-3
Don't see it improving much. Just hope Warwickshire can beat Middlesex and that we can eke out a draw somehow.