Kent have confirmed that both Blake and Logan have been released. Can't help thinking that Blake never quite fulfilled his talent but had some big innings nevertheless and Logan was, perhaps, offered a three-year contract somewhat prematurely as we never really saw the best of him. Wish them both well in their future careers.
Kent have confirmed that both Blake and Logan have been released. Can't help thinking that Blake never quite fulfilled his talent but had some big innings nevertheless and Logan was, perhaps, offered a three-year contract somewhat prematurely as we never really saw the best of him. Wish them both well in their future careers.
Saw him absolutely destroy Middlesex in aT20 at Lords a few years ago. One of the players that could swing a match in your favour within a few overs. Pity
The Kent squad had a post season weekend in Dublin - some of the tags aren't correct but left to right - standing are Klaassen, Billings, Quinn, Finch, Evison, Gilchrist, O'Riordan, Singh, Denly and Crawley with crouching/sitting Chahal, Bell-Drummond, Stewart and Leaning. The players missing are Logan, Blake, Cox, Bhuiyan, Hogan, Qadri, Muyeye and Compton
The Kent squad had a post season weekend in Dublin - some of the tags aren't correct but left to right - standing are Klaassen, Billings, Quinn, Finch, Evison, Gilchrist, O'Riordan, Singh, Denly and Crawley with crouching/sitting Chahal, Bell-Drummond, Stewart and Leaning. The players missing are Logan, Blake, Cox, Bhuiyan, Hogan, Qadri, Muyeye and Compton
I suppose that it's possible that they had already booked flights elsewhere before the weekend had been arranged. Compton seems to spend some of the off season back in South Africa with his family and playing and their season starts in about four weeks time. Muyeye is originally from Zimbabwe and it is, equally, possible that he had already planned to see his family. Or it might just be that a boozy weekend doesn't sit comfortably with them and also one or two of the other absentees. Given that there doesn't appear to be any coaching staff it does very much look like an unofficial, come if you can, players' weekend away.
I suppose that it's possible that they had already booked flights elsewhere before the weekend had been arranged. Compton seems to spend some of the off season back in South Africa with his family and playing and their season starts in about four weeks time. Muyeye is originally from Zimbabwe and it is, equally, possible that he had already planned to see his family. Or it might just be that a boozy weekend doesn't sit comfortably with them and also one or two of the other absentees. Given that there doesn't appear to be any coaching staff it does very much look like an unofficial, come if you can, players' weekend away.
The Kent squad had a post season weekend in Dublin - some of the tags aren't correct but left to right - standing are Klaassen, Billings, Quinn, Finch, Evison, Gilchrist, O'Riordan, Singh, Denly and Crawley with crouching/sitting Chahal, Bell-Drummond, Stewart and Leaning. The players missing are Logan, Blake, Cox, Bhuiyan, Hogan, Qadri, Muyeye and Compton
Wicketkeeper Sam Billings remains club captain but stepped down as red-ball skipper in June while experienced batting duo Jack Leaning and Joe Denly have led the team at different points since then.
Walker noted: “We will sit down and discuss what is right for the club.
“I guess that’ll be one of Cooky’s first jobs to get the right person in that role. That’ll be discussed. We’ll sit down and talk that through.
“Jack has done a great job since he took it over, really, in the red-ball campaign. He’s brought a real enthusiasm and willingness to learn on the job.
“We’ll sit down and make sure that we get that right because it’s a very important role.”
Wicketkeeper Sam Billings remains club captain but stepped down as red-ball skipper in June while experienced batting duo Jack Leaning and Joe Denly have led the team at different points since then.
Walker noted: “We will sit down and discuss what is right for the club.
“I guess that’ll be one of Cooky’s first jobs to get the right person in that role. That’ll be discussed. We’ll sit down and talk that through.
“Jack has done a great job since he took it over, really, in the red-ball campaign. He’s brought a real enthusiasm and willingness to learn on the job.
“We’ll sit down and make sure that we get that right because it’s a very important role.”
I think saying that Leaning has done a great job is stretching it a bit! I like him as a player, but not convinced by is captaincy skills. Cricket is a game where a good captain can make a huge difference by making good tactical decisions during the match, and I don't think there has been much evidence of that.
Wicketkeeper Sam Billings remains club captain but stepped down as red-ball skipper in June while experienced batting duo Jack Leaning and Joe Denly have led the team at different points since then.
Walker noted: “We will sit down and discuss what is right for the club.
“I guess that’ll be one of Cooky’s first jobs to get the right person in that role. That’ll be discussed. We’ll sit down and talk that through.
“Jack has done a great job since he took it over, really, in the red-ball campaign. He’s brought a real enthusiasm and willingness to learn on the job.
“We’ll sit down and make sure that we get that right because it’s a very important role.”
I think saying that Leaning has done a great job is stretching it a bit! I like him as a player, but not convinced by is captaincy skills. Cricket is a game where a good captain can make a huge difference by making good tactical decisions during the match, and I don't think there has been much evidence of that.
Leaning also had a poor season with the bat (25.59) albeit nowhere near as bad as Billings (9.20). And therein lies the problem. Which of our players is certain of his place in the side because that should be the starting point. Billings, Denly and DBD have all been dropped in the last couple of seasons, Crawley will be with England for a lot of the time, Compton had a backward step this year, Finch is new to the team and Muyeye and Evison are too young and experienced. As for the bowlers, it was a struggle to find one capable of playing two consecutive games let alone one that could skipper the team for the duration. The cupboard is somewhat bare in that respect.
Wicketkeeper Sam Billings remains club captain but stepped down as red-ball skipper in June while experienced batting duo Jack Leaning and Joe Denly have led the team at different points since then.
Walker noted: “We will sit down and discuss what is right for the club.
“I guess that’ll be one of Cooky’s first jobs to get the right person in that role. That’ll be discussed. We’ll sit down and talk that through.
“Jack has done a great job since he took it over, really, in the red-ball campaign. He’s brought a real enthusiasm and willingness to learn on the job.
“We’ll sit down and make sure that we get that right because it’s a very important role.”
I think saying that Leaning has done a great job is stretching it a bit! I like him as a player, but not convinced by is captaincy skills. Cricket is a game where a good captain can make a huge difference by making good tactical decisions during the match, and I don't think there has been much evidence of that.
Leaning also had a poor season with the bat (25.59) albeit nowhere near as bad as Billings (9.20). And therein lies the problem. Which of our players is certain of his place in the side because that should be the starting point. Billings, Denly and DBD have all been dropped in the last couple of seasons, Crawley will be with England for a lot of the time, Compton had a backward step this year, Finch is new to the team and Muyeye and Evison are too young and experienced. As for the bowlers, it was a struggle to find one capable of playing two consecutive games let alone one that could skipper the team for the duration. The cupboard is somewhat bare in that respect.
Leaning is only worth his place in the side due to his bowling, which has really come on. He doesn't score enough runs in red ball cricket to be a top 5 batsman
Wicketkeeper Sam Billings remains club captain but stepped down as red-ball skipper in June while experienced batting duo Jack Leaning and Joe Denly have led the team at different points since then.
Walker noted: “We will sit down and discuss what is right for the club.
“I guess that’ll be one of Cooky’s first jobs to get the right person in that role. That’ll be discussed. We’ll sit down and talk that through.
“Jack has done a great job since he took it over, really, in the red-ball campaign. He’s brought a real enthusiasm and willingness to learn on the job.
“We’ll sit down and make sure that we get that right because it’s a very important role.”
I think saying that Leaning has done a great job is stretching it a bit! I like him as a player, but not convinced by is captaincy skills. Cricket is a game where a good captain can make a huge difference by making good tactical decisions during the match, and I don't think there has been much evidence of that.
Leaning also had a poor season with the bat (25.59) albeit nowhere near as bad as Billings (9.20). And therein lies the problem. Which of our players is certain of his place in the side because that should be the starting point. Billings, Denly and DBD have all been dropped in the last couple of seasons, Crawley will be with England for a lot of the time, Compton had a backward step this year, Finch is new to the team and Muyeye and Evison are too young and experienced. As for the bowlers, it was a struggle to find one capable of playing two consecutive games let alone one that could skipper the team for the duration. The cupboard is somewhat bare in that respect.
Maybe they might recruit a captain.. I have heard, there is potential for a pretty big overhaul over the off season, but let's see
Wicketkeeper Sam Billings remains club captain but stepped down as red-ball skipper in June while experienced batting duo Jack Leaning and Joe Denly have led the team at different points since then.
Walker noted: “We will sit down and discuss what is right for the club.
“I guess that’ll be one of Cooky’s first jobs to get the right person in that role. That’ll be discussed. We’ll sit down and talk that through.
“Jack has done a great job since he took it over, really, in the red-ball campaign. He’s brought a real enthusiasm and willingness to learn on the job.
“We’ll sit down and make sure that we get that right because it’s a very important role.”
I think saying that Leaning has done a great job is stretching it a bit! I like him as a player, but not convinced by is captaincy skills. Cricket is a game where a good captain can make a huge difference by making good tactical decisions during the match, and I don't think there has been much evidence of that.
Leaning also had a poor season with the bat (25.59) albeit nowhere near as bad as Billings (9.20). And therein lies the problem. Which of our players is certain of his place in the side because that should be the starting point. Billings, Denly and DBD have all been dropped in the last couple of seasons, Crawley will be with England for a lot of the time, Compton had a backward step this year, Finch is new to the team and Muyeye and Evison are too young and experienced. As for the bowlers, it was a struggle to find one capable of playing two consecutive games let alone one that could skipper the team for the duration. The cupboard is somewhat bare in that respect.
Maybe they might recruit a captain.. I have heard, there is potential for a pretty big overhaul over the off season, but let's see
Someone who went to tonight's end of season dinner has said that Billings has announced that he is relinquishing the captaincy but intends to play white ball at least. Which, in reality, means that he will be available for the Blast and if selected and has no other commitments will also turn out in the CC.
Someone who went to tonight's end of season dinner has said that Billings has announced that he is relinquishing the captaincy but intends to play white ball at least. Which, in reality, means that he will be available for the Blast and if selected and has no other commitments will also turn out in the CC.
If England hadn't called him up to the Test side down under, I can imagine Billings just concentrating on white ball 2 seasons ago.
It didn't seem right having a county captain missing chunks of the season to play the IPL, but if he's just (mainly) a white ball player I have no problems with that.
Someone who went to tonight's end of season dinner has said that Billings has announced that he is relinquishing the captaincy but intends to play white ball at least. Which, in reality, means that he will be available for the Blast and if selected and has no other commitments will also turn out in the CC.
If England hadn't called him up to the Test side down under, I can imagine Billings just concentrating on white ball 2 seasons ago.
It didn't seem right having a county captain missing chunks of the season to play the IPL, but if he's just (mainly) a white ball player I have no problems with that.
The only issue I have with it is that he has two years left of a three-year contract based on him being captain and playing in both red and white ball for which is only actual contribution might end up being a maximum of 14 T20 games in each. I can't see us being able to re-negotiate a salary that will probably be the highest in the Club and that in turn limits our financial ability to secure a suitable replacement.
Someone who went to tonight's end of season dinner has said that Billings has announced that he is relinquishing the captaincy but intends to play white ball at least. Which, in reality, means that he will be available for the Blast and if selected and has no other commitments will also turn out in the CC.
If England hadn't called him up to the Test side down under, I can imagine Billings just concentrating on white ball 2 seasons ago.
It didn't seem right having a county captain missing chunks of the season to play the IPL, but if he's just (mainly) a white ball player I have no problems with that.
The only issue I have with it is that he has two years left of a three-year contract based on him being captain and playing in both red and white ball for which is only actual contribution might end up being a maximum of 14 T20 games in each. I can't see us being able to re-negotiate a salary that will probably be the highest in the Club and that in turn limits our financial ability to secure a suitable replacement.
I've always assumed that contracts would take that into consideration?
After all county contracts don't prevent players playing in the IPL, so there has to be some flexibility in them?
Someone who went to tonight's end of season dinner has said that Billings has announced that he is relinquishing the captaincy but intends to play white ball at least. Which, in reality, means that he will be available for the Blast and if selected and has no other commitments will also turn out in the CC.
If England hadn't called him up to the Test side down under, I can imagine Billings just concentrating on white ball 2 seasons ago.
It didn't seem right having a county captain missing chunks of the season to play the IPL, but if he's just (mainly) a white ball player I have no problems with that.
The only issue I have with it is that he has two years left of a three-year contract based on him being captain and playing in both red and white ball for which is only actual contribution might end up being a maximum of 14 T20 games in each. I can't see us being able to re-negotiate a salary that will probably be the highest in the Club and that in turn limits our financial ability to secure a suitable replacement.
I've always assumed that contracts would take that into consideration?
After all county contracts don't prevent players playing in the IPL, so there has to be some flexibility in them?
Certainly in the case of being at the IPL I would expect a clause to be in the contract to cover that in the same way as it might for playing in the Hundred because he is receipt of remuneration for playing for another team in lieu of Kent. However, I'm not sure that this is quite the same situation in the respect that Billings might argue, as he did last season, that he was available to be selected in the CC, but wasn't picked. It was Kent's decision to leave him out and for him not to be red ball captain but to remain Club captain and to skipper in The Blast. Equally, if he were truly available only for white ball, in the strictest sense of the meaning, then he would have a contract similar to that of Blake who was then given a short term contract for red ball this season because we were so desperately short of players. If we were then to take that to nth degree, I can't believe that Logan's contract, financially, was in any way reduced for the fact that he didn't play for us for virtually two years. In that sense, perhaps, giving both Billings and Logan three-year contracts was a mistake.
I thought that but, to be fair, they did find a relatively valid reason for giving the award to him as his 24 Blast wickets beat Yasir Arafat's 2008 record of 23 in the competition.
Comments
Whatever we might think of the "other competition", it's not a good sign when a specialist white ball player isn't being picked for the Hundred.
On a serious note, good to see they did this
"One of the key areas where a decision will need to be made is over who will captain Kent.
Wicketkeeper Sam Billings remains club captain but stepped down as red-ball skipper in June while experienced batting duo Jack Leaning and Joe Denly have led the team at different points since then.
Walker noted: “We will sit down and discuss what is right for the club.
“I guess that’ll be one of Cooky’s first jobs to get the right person in that role. That’ll be discussed. We’ll sit down and talk that through.
“Jack has done a great job since he took it over, really, in the red-ball campaign. He’s brought a real enthusiasm and willingness to learn on the job.
“We’ll sit down and make sure that we get that right because it’s a very important role.”
It didn't seem right having a county captain missing chunks of the season to play the IPL, but if he's just (mainly) a white ball player I have no problems with that.
After all county contracts don't prevent players playing in the IPL, so there has to be some flexibility in them?
2023 Spitfire Kent Cricket Awards winners in full:
Men’s awards winners:
Women’s awards winners:
Talk about the best of a bad bunch