Jack Leaning's Dad, Andy, used to be a pro goalkeeper and played for Sheffield United for one season (1987/88). Also in that side was someone who would go onto become a Charlton legend (standing next to Jack Leaning in the photo below). The two would only actually make a total of 34 appearances for The Blades between them. The team sheet is from the last time Maidstone played in the 3rd Round of the FA Cup.
Toby Radford is a top quality, very technically minded, batting coach. If he can't improve the quality of the existing cohort and the youngsters coming through then no one can! Robbie Joseph, the new bowling coach, of course, used to play for us.
As I say, Radford is very technical and experienced too:
Experience
Consultancy England and Wales Cricket Board -ECB
From Sept 2019 – present
I wrote and delivered the Batting Module on the ECB level 3 coach education course.
Mentored level 4 coaches and assessed Level 3 coaches.
West Indies Cricket Team – Batting/Assistant Coach
From 2016 - 2019
I was Batting coach and Assistant Coach for the senior international side. Helped the team to win its first Test Match in England for 18 years in 2017 and achieve its first Test Match series win against England in the Caribbean for 20 years
Glamorgan Country Cricket Club - Head Coach
From 2013-2015
Head Coach of the county team and responsible for the day-to-day management of all support staff and county players and the Coaching of the professional playing staff.
Was pleased that the Club equaled its record of 4 Championship wins in a row in 2015
West Indies Cricket Team - Batting / Assistant Coach
From 2012-2013
I was Batting Coach and Assistant Coach for the senior international side.
I was delighted when the West Indies were crowned ICC World T20 Champions in Sri Lanka in 2012
Cricket West Indies – Consultancy
From 2011-2012
I wrote new Coach Education documents for the national governing body and was the batting coach for the West Indies Academy tour to Dubai.
Cricket West Indies – Director of High Performance Center
From 2010-2011
I wrote, directed and delivered the Programme for the West Indies International Cricket Academy in Barbados.
I managed and coached the players and managed the Support Staff.
Consultancy England and Wales Cricket Board - ECB - Head Coach of England Training Camp
From 2009-2010
I wrote, directed and delivered a three-week training Camp in Pretoria and was responsible for the coaching of all players
Middlesex County Cricket Club - Head Coach
From 2007-2009
I was Head Coach of Middlesex County Cricket Club and delighted when the team became national T20 Champions in 2008.
I was responsible for the coaching of the full playing staff and the management of all the players and support staff
Middlesex County Cricket Club – Academy Director / Second Eleven Coach
From 2005-2007
I was Director of the Middlesex Cricket Academy and delighted when the Second Eleven won the National Second Eleven Trophy in 2007
Middlesex Country Cricket Club - Academy Director
From 2003-2005
I launched the Middlesex Cricket Academy in 2003 and ECB subsequently used the Middlesex format as their Academy blueprint.
England and Wales Cricket Board - ECB
From 2001-2003
I coached England Under 15, 17 and 19 teams and wrote and delivered sections of the ECB Coach Education level 3 and 4 batting sessions
Professional Qualifications
ECB Level 4 Coach
2:1 Journalism Degree (City University, London)
Quintic / sportscode/ crickstat
Other Achievements
Professional cricketer with Middlesex and Sussex CCC
Toured Australia with Young England in 1990/91
Toured New Zealand with Young England 1991/92
References (available on request)
Eoin Morgan - England One Day Captain
Jason Holder – West Indies Test Match Captain
Jimmy Adams – Director of Cricket – Cricket West Indies
Andrew Strauss – Chairman of ECB Cricket Committee
Ah, I have done some research now on the batting coach, and as you say he does look good, looks like he has worked with Billings a lot for the last few years, which worries me, as his form has dipped.
But watched some of his videos on social media, he looks a very good coach.
Jaydn Denly has progressed very well. Friend's son played football/cricket with him and seems like just yesterday that they were kids!
It is still a bit of a mystery as to what Jaydn's main discipline is and the way he has been used by his various teams is rather full of contradictions. For example, in the Kent League usually batting at 5 last season he averaged 8.45 from 11 innings and yet for England U19s he has done very well opening the batting and has hit three 50s in eight innings. With the ball in the Kent League, he took 13 wickets at 26.23 and with a very impressive economy rate of 3.52. For England, he has hardly bowled in red ball but has been regularly utilised as first change in white ball although I don't believe that he has taken more than one wicket in a game. In the Metro Bank he batted in the middle order for Kent but was used sparingly with the ball.
Jaydn is still only 17 I have him in the above list as a spinner primarily but I'm not sure that he isn't, at the moment, a batsman and a defensive white ball spinner. That said, if his career lasts as long as that of his uncle, he probably still has another 20 years to find himself.
I am pretty sure Jaydn will open for Whitstable in the up coming season.. He very much seen as a batting allrounder. I think he dropped down the order, because he was struggling on the slow club pitches.
I actually think he will end up playing quite a lot for Kent this year, especially in the white ball stuff. Depending how preseason goes, might force his way in to 4 day stuff.
To be honest, I don't read to much in to talented cricketers not doing to much in club cricket, Crawley didn't do to great either!
Those very conditions make it hard for batters not in the "system" to break through given that bowlers are very much king at the top level of club cricket with sub standard tracks where it is difficult to trust their two paced and irregular bounce nature - there was just one 300 plus score for any team batting first in the KPL last season with the average total being just 222. That is difficult to reconcile given how many of the county 50 over scores are consistently well over 300 and the fact that it is far easier to clear boundaries (and therefore not be caught) on most club grounds than it is at county venues - the likes of Minster and Whitstable are postage stamps with, potentially, barely 50 yard boundaries compared to anything between 70-90 yards at county grounds.
That said, one very influential coach at Kent told me that they don't even look at scores below the Premier League i.e. you have to be playing at the highest level to even be considered which is why clubs lower down the food chain lose their promising youngsters so readily - Kent have actually moved Academy players from one club to another (or put pressure on them to move) in order to have them tested at the highest level. The anomaly comes when the likes of Jaydn at Whitstable, Muyeye at Bromley and Blake at Hayes (2021) are permitted to play in the second tier. I'm not, by any means, saying that they shouldn't be allowed to do so, especially for someone like Jaydn who is still only 17, but just saying that there has been no consistency of message from the County.
Yes, fully understand all that. But to be honest, I don't think you see youngster move as much as you use to. When the academy started, the expectation was to be playing in the premier league, or Kent would put you in to a premier league club. And that was a case for all of the county players, where now the player can choose where they play!
Now it is down to the player ambition or where they think it’s better for them to play, rather than being pushed to a club.
To honest, there is very little faith in the Kent League set up from KCCC, and they are so far from being aligned. Last year, when they tried to have an academy side in the T20 wasn’t able fulfil the fixtures, and the inconsistency of the selection made it a laughing stock and had to scrap it.
I think Kent should have an u23 type of side in the Kent league, maybe not to start with in the premier league.
That was in 2021 and Seb played in most of those games - there were usually two T20 games on the Sunday with the idea being that there would be points at stake for the KPL team that would be added to their KPL points if they won. As you say, the strength of the sides were somewhat varied - when they played Blackheath, for example, they had the likes of Harry Finch, Sam Smith, Isaac Dilkes, Joe Gordon plus an overseas player in the side and the "Academy" won by 75 runs. When they played Bexley at the end of the season only Isaac Dilkes remained in the team and apart from one other player, the rest of the side had an average age of 17. Given the unevenness of the challenge presented, on a week to week basis, the clubs agree to void any points gained.
The difficulty with having an U23 side would be clubs having to release their youngsters i.e. what incentive would there be for a Bexley or Bromley who currently have some very promising youngsters coming through, for example, to put all their resource and time into producing players if they are only then going to be "cherry picked" on a Saturday to play elsewhere when a Minster, again for example, might not lose a single youngster, let alone one that came through their system, to the Kent U23 team?
Interestingly, the South Australia League have done this with the SA U19s playing in Div 2 of the 1st Grade. There is a fundamental difference though - there are only eight teams in Div 1 and I would say that two thirds of them have either played or are playing at least State cricket or are an equivalent overseas (unlike the KPL there is no limit on the number of overseas that can play) so an U19 missing does not have the same impact as a Kent U23 team might in the KPL.
To be honest, I think u23 should be seen as a feeder to Kent, so if youngster wants to play pro they should pick to play for KCCC U23.. If it doesn't work out, they have the club to fall back on.. Surely it would benefit Kent, which is the goal? Or KCCC name a squad of say of 15 at the start of the season, but can added up to 3 players if someone emerges during the season.. When not playing, they can be released to the clubs.
Suppose the issue is, clubs are paying to much money for these younger players, so financially makes more sense for them to play club cricket!Maybe if KCCC U23 was to give appearance fees that might be able to help..
Excellent debate and idea.
The "feeder" teams are the Kent U18s (where they can play up to three 19 year olds) and the Kent 2s though. We are talking about Kent not Surrey too - I'm not sure we pay much more than the equivalent of expenses to play in the 2s and not all clubs pay their PL players either and if they do I can only think of one or two that might pay the majority of those players - so it's not all about money.
We should take into account just how few actually make it as pros - it's been an average of two players for every three years for the last 21 years between the two Denlys i.e. the youngest and the oldest contracted players. That includes a four year void between Jaydn Denly and Jas Singh. Bar Zak Crawley, who will be mostly playing for England, we do not have a single home produced regular under 30 in our side. Cox and Robinson would have almost certainly been a couple that would have been but it is our failure to produce other youngsters that upsets Kent supporters so much when the likes of those two do opt to leave for other opportunities.
Effectively, with an U23 side, we would be asking clubs that do support a colts system to sacrifice one, two or even three of the players that they have spent up to eight years bringing through as opposed to another that has a side made up of imports players and who contribute nothing to Kent in doing so. Kent give more opportunities to trialists from other areas than players from the Kent League and they would, effectively, be expecting clubs to allow the ones Kent aren't prepared to play mid-week to turn out for them on a Saturday - when a maximum of one, in all probability, in any Kent squad will ultimately make it as a pro i.e. more than 90% won't.
One question I would also ask is at what level would we be pitching that team? Someone who is 21 really needs to be playing in the KPL if they want to improve and prove themselves - there might not be overt pressure from Kent, especially for someone who is in the Academy and getting games for the Academy and the 2s, but as one influential Kent coach has said in recent seasons "I don't even look at scores outside the Premier because I don't see those as proving anything". Out of sight really is out of mind.
So that message is clear enough - unless you are a pro or in the current Academy then you need to score runs in the Kent Premier to be recognised. But then we get right back to the situation where ball, in the KPL, is king by virtue of the pitches that are, invariably, so lacking in pace and bounce with those teams batting first in 50 over games (i.e. non DLS affected) and scoring over 240 runs, winning on 19 of the 22 occasions last season that happened. In fact, more teams won setting between 171 and 240 than lost which is a clear indication of how difficult it is not only to set a big score but also how most of these tracks do deteriorate. That would serve to explain the scores of Kent contracted batsmen in the Kent League last season:
Not one ton and just five half centuries from 38 innings. If it is so difficult for Kent first teamers to produce big scores then it has to be the same for all players at that level. The bowling is going to be, at times, very much as good as they might face in the pro game but the surface simply isn't. So it becomes a bit of a vicious circle for those aspiring players not in the system. The ECB report highlighted the current bias which is why the South Asian Cricket Academy has been so good for the game because the SACA side gets to play against County 2nd XIs - and from there I think something like half a dozen have gone on to secure pro contracts as a result.
Yes fair points, but I think there needs to be a bit more structure to development, and as you say the amount that actually make it pro is very low.. But a lot of that is down to money as well, as a lot of talented crickets, can earn more money away from the game.
2xl cricket isn't that great to be honest, I think they should scrap that! It doesn't offer enough of a transition from club cricket to first class cricket.. In fact, I think 2xl cricket is a dip.. Players turning up more pissed than club cricket, players can't be ars*d. And the cricket isn't competitive either, bit more turning an arm over, and get a bit of form..
Jaydn Denly has progressed very well. Friend's son played football/cricket with him and seems like just yesterday that they were kids!
It is still a bit of a mystery as to what Jaydn's main discipline is and the way he has been used by his various teams is rather full of contradictions. For example, in the Kent League usually batting at 5 last season he averaged 8.45 from 11 innings and yet for England U19s he has done very well opening the batting and has hit three 50s in eight innings. With the ball in the Kent League, he took 13 wickets at 26.23 and with a very impressive economy rate of 3.52. For England, he has hardly bowled in red ball but has been regularly utilised as first change in white ball although I don't believe that he has taken more than one wicket in a game. In the Metro Bank he batted in the middle order for Kent but was used sparingly with the ball.
Jaydn is still only 17 I have him in the above list as a spinner primarily but I'm not sure that he isn't, at the moment, a batsman and a defensive white ball spinner. That said, if his career lasts as long as that of his uncle, he probably still has another 20 years to find himself.
I am pretty sure Jaydn will open for Whitstable in the up coming season.. He very much seen as a batting allrounder. I think he dropped down the order, because he was struggling on the slow club pitches.
I actually think he will end up playing quite a lot for Kent this year, especially in the white ball stuff. Depending how preseason goes, might force his way in to 4 day stuff.
To be honest, I don't read to much in to talented cricketers not doing to much in club cricket, Crawley didn't do to great either!
Those very conditions make it hard for batters not in the "system" to break through given that bowlers are very much king at the top level of club cricket with sub standard tracks where it is difficult to trust their two paced and irregular bounce nature - there was just one 300 plus score for any team batting first in the KPL last season with the average total being just 222. That is difficult to reconcile given how many of the county 50 over scores are consistently well over 300 and the fact that it is far easier to clear boundaries (and therefore not be caught) on most club grounds than it is at county venues - the likes of Minster and Whitstable are postage stamps with, potentially, barely 50 yard boundaries compared to anything between 70-90 yards at county grounds.
That said, one very influential coach at Kent told me that they don't even look at scores below the Premier League i.e. you have to be playing at the highest level to even be considered which is why clubs lower down the food chain lose their promising youngsters so readily - Kent have actually moved Academy players from one club to another (or put pressure on them to move) in order to have them tested at the highest level. The anomaly comes when the likes of Jaydn at Whitstable, Muyeye at Bromley and Blake at Hayes (2021) are permitted to play in the second tier. I'm not, by any means, saying that they shouldn't be allowed to do so, especially for someone like Jaydn who is still only 17, but just saying that there has been no consistency of message from the County.
Yes, fully understand all that. But to be honest, I don't think you see youngster move as much as you use to. When the academy started, the expectation was to be playing in the premier league, or Kent would put you in to a premier league club. And that was a case for all of the county players, where now the player can choose where they play!
Now it is down to the player ambition or where they think it’s better for them to play, rather than being pushed to a club.
To honest, there is very little faith in the Kent League set up from KCCC, and they are so far from being aligned. Last year, when they tried to have an academy side in the T20 wasn’t able fulfil the fixtures, and the inconsistency of the selection made it a laughing stock and had to scrap it.
I think Kent should have an u23 type of side in the Kent league, maybe not to start with in the premier league.
That was in 2021 and Seb played in most of those games - there were usually two T20 games on the Sunday with the idea being that there would be points at stake for the KPL team that would be added to their KPL points if they won. As you say, the strength of the sides were somewhat varied - when they played Blackheath, for example, they had the likes of Harry Finch, Sam Smith, Isaac Dilkes, Joe Gordon plus an overseas player in the side and the "Academy" won by 75 runs. When they played Bexley at the end of the season only Isaac Dilkes remained in the team and apart from one other player, the rest of the side had an average age of 17. Given the unevenness of the challenge presented, on a week to week basis, the clubs agree to void any points gained.
The difficulty with having an U23 side would be clubs having to release their youngsters i.e. what incentive would there be for a Bexley or Bromley who currently have some very promising youngsters coming through, for example, to put all their resource and time into producing players if they are only then going to be "cherry picked" on a Saturday to play elsewhere when a Minster, again for example, might not lose a single youngster, let alone one that came through their system, to the Kent U23 team?
Interestingly, the South Australia League have done this with the SA U19s playing in Div 2 of the 1st Grade. There is a fundamental difference though - there are only eight teams in Div 1 and I would say that two thirds of them have either played or are playing at least State cricket or are an equivalent overseas (unlike the KPL there is no limit on the number of overseas that can play) so an U19 missing does not have the same impact as a Kent U23 team might in the KPL.
To be honest, I think u23 should be seen as a feeder to Kent, so if youngster wants to play pro they should pick to play for KCCC U23.. If it doesn't work out, they have the club to fall back on.. Surely it would benefit Kent, which is the goal? Or KCCC name a squad of say of 15 at the start of the season, but can added up to 3 players if someone emerges during the season.. When not playing, they can be released to the clubs.
Suppose the issue is, clubs are paying to much money for these younger players, so financially makes more sense for them to play club cricket!Maybe if KCCC U23 was to give appearance fees that might be able to help..
Excellent debate and idea.
The "feeder" teams are the Kent U18s (where they can play up to three 19 year olds) and the Kent 2s though. We are talking about Kent not Surrey too - I'm not sure we pay much more than the equivalent of expenses to play in the 2s and not all clubs pay their PL players either and if they do I can only think of one or two that might pay the majority of those players - so it's not all about money.
We should take into account just how few actually make it as pros - it's been an average of two players for every three years for the last 21 years between the two Denlys i.e. the youngest and the oldest contracted players. That includes a four year void between Jaydn Denly and Jas Singh. Bar Zak Crawley, who will be mostly playing for England, we do not have a single home produced regular under 30 in our side. Cox and Robinson would have almost certainly been a couple that would have been but it is our failure to produce other youngsters that upsets Kent supporters so much when the likes of those two do opt to leave for other opportunities.
Effectively, with an U23 side, we would be asking clubs that do support a colts system to sacrifice one, two or even three of the players that they have spent up to eight years bringing through as opposed to another that has a side made up of imports players and who contribute nothing to Kent in doing so. Kent give more opportunities to trialists from other areas than players from the Kent League and they would, effectively, be expecting clubs to allow the ones Kent aren't prepared to play mid-week to turn out for them on a Saturday - when a maximum of one, in all probability, in any Kent squad will ultimately make it as a pro i.e. more than 90% won't.
One question I would also ask is at what level would we be pitching that team? Someone who is 21 really needs to be playing in the KPL if they want to improve and prove themselves - there might not be overt pressure from Kent, especially for someone who is in the Academy and getting games for the Academy and the 2s, but as one influential Kent coach has said in recent seasons "I don't even look at scores outside the Premier because I don't see those as proving anything". Out of sight really is out of mind.
So that message is clear enough - unless you are a pro or in the current Academy then you need to score runs in the Kent Premier to be recognised. But then we get right back to the situation where ball, in the KPL, is king by virtue of the pitches that are, invariably, so lacking in pace and bounce with those teams batting first in 50 over games (i.e. non DLS affected) and scoring over 240 runs, winning on 19 of the 22 occasions last season that happened. In fact, more teams won setting between 171 and 240 than lost which is a clear indication of how difficult it is not only to set a big score but also how most of these tracks do deteriorate. That would serve to explain the scores of Kent contracted batsmen in the Kent League last season:
Not one ton and just five half centuries from 38 innings. If it is so difficult for Kent first teamers to produce big scores then it has to be the same for all players at that level. The bowling is going to be, at times, very much as good as they might face in the pro game but the surface simply isn't. So it becomes a bit of a vicious circle for those aspiring players not in the system. The ECB report highlighted the current bias which is why the South Asian Cricket Academy has been so good for the game because the SACA side gets to play against County 2nd XIs - and from there I think something like half a dozen have gone on to secure pro contracts as a result.
Yes fair points, but I think there needs to be a bit more structure to development, and as you say the amount that actually make it pro is very low.. But a lot of that is down to money as well, as a lot of talented crickets, can earn more money away from the game.
2xl cricket isn't that great to be honest, I think they should scrap that! It doesn't offer enough of a transition from club cricket to first class cricket.. In fact, I think 2xl cricket is a dip.. Players turning up more pissed than club cricket, players can't be ars*d. And the cricket isn't competitive either, bit more turning an arm over, and get a bit of form..
a few years ago they used to have a Unicorns team which was made up of out of contract and up and coming players . They used to play against the counties in one of the comps. Also the MCCU games don’t seem to be around any more.
I suppose 2nd xi cricket goes the same way as age group cricket and age group football. Generally they are only looking at a couple of players and the rest are making up the numbers.
Tommy Ealham, son of Mark and grandson of Alan, has signed his first pro contract for Surrey. Tommy, like his older brother, George, was a part of the Kent age group system but moved to Surrey at the age of 16. George has switched between playing for Kent and Surrey 2s over the course of the last few seasons but has yet to earn himself a contract at either county.
Jaydn Denly has been selected in the 15 man England squad for the U19 World Cup due to take place next month.
As I've said previously, it is interesting the way England have utilised Jaydn. In the two Test matches against Australia U19s he opened the batting with some success with scores of 9, 69, 42 and 74 but was only sparingly thrown the ball in bowling just a dozen overs in total. In the recent Tri ODI Series against India and Bangladesh his scores and batting positions were 0 (3), 50 (3), 2 (1), 0 (7), 0 (8) and DNB (8) but he was very much a "go to" bowler in the sense that he came on at first or second changed in all six matches to return impressive figures of 46.3-1-202-8.
Ultimately, as @DubaiCAFC suggests, Jaydn might well be an opening batsman in red ball but not yet a front line bowler in that discipline. Whereas in white ball cricket he is a bowler that can contain and create pressure as a result but might need to bide his time so far as batting is concerned particularly as he doesn't yet possess the stamp of some of the power hitters that we do see at U19 level - there again, he isn't 18 for another month so has at least another year in him at this level.
Somehow social media went from Aaron Finch to Adam Finch to Harry Finch. Just goes to show that a little information is a little dangerous sometimes. Having said that and as much as I like Harry Finch, I do think that it is a bit disappointing that our social media department opts to give such a build up to someone signing a one year extension beyond the season he is already committed to.
We have 22 players on our books. With the best will in the world and given our finances, I really do not see that, bar another overseas and possibly one more player that there will be many more players coming in.
I guess they see Finch is a good enough keeper for the red ball and 50 over games, with Billings having the gloves for the Blast.
There's no reason why Billings can't play some CC games either, assuming he's got his issues sorted.
Indeed and If one or other does get injured then I daresay we will get an emergency loan or, in the case of the 50 over comp, call up a keeper from the Kent League.
I am far from saying that the intention is not to retain Finch beyond 2025 but, as Billings' contract also ends at that point, it will make decision making more open at that time should we want to keep both and/or re-sign a certain former keeper of ours (signed a three-year contract at the beginning of last season at his current Club - also assuming that he wants to come back that is)
I guess they see Finch is a good enough keeper for the red ball and 50 over games, with Billings having the gloves for the Blast.
There's no reason why Billings can't play some CC games either, assuming he's got his issues sorted.
Indeed and If one or other does get injured then I daresay we will get an emergency loan or, in the case of the 50 over comp, call up a keeper from the Kent League.
I am far from saying that the intention is not to retain Finch beyond 2025 but, as Billings' contract also ends at that point, it will make decision making more open at that time should we want to keep both and/or re-sign a certain former keeper of ours (signed a three-year contract at the beginning of last season at his current Club - also assuming that he wants to come back that is)
The plot thickens - the day after Finch signs a new contract so does Billings. Effectively, he and Kent have agreed to tear up the existing one to 2025 and replace it with a white ball only one for the same period. That really does suggest that we need to sign another keeper, albeit maybe a youngster, because if Finch breaks a finger then we literally have no one to keep.
It also means that 2 years after Billings kept wicket in an Ashes Test, he's effectively retired from red ball cricket.
He's been non-committed to our red ball career for years - last 8 seasons he's played this number of games in the CC: 6, 5, 4, 6, 4, 8, 6 & 7. There's just a bit more honesty from both sides now. We should also remember that had he not insisted on taking the gloves off Robinson then he would still be with us.
It also means that 2 years after Billings kept wicket in an Ashes Test, he's effectively retired from red ball cricket.
He's been non-committed to our red ball career for years - last 8 seasons he's played this number of games in the CC: 6, 5, 4, 6, 4, 8, 6 & 7. There's just a bit more honesty from both sides now. We should also remember that had he not insisted on taking the gloves off Robinson then he would still be with us.
If he hadn't been made reserve red ball keeper for England, then I imagine he would have happily given up the red ball gloves for Kent permanently, thought there still would have been the problem of Robinson not being picked for our Blast matches.
It also means that 2 years after Billings kept wicket in an Ashes Test, he's effectively retired from red ball cricket.
He's been non-committed to our red ball career for years - last 8 seasons he's played this number of games in the CC: 6, 5, 4, 6, 4, 8, 6 & 7. There's just a bit more honesty from both sides now. We should also remember that had he not insisted on taking the gloves off Robinson then he would still be with us.
If he hadn't been made reserve red ball keeper for England, then I imagine he would have happily given up the red ball gloves for Kent permanently, thought there still would have been the problem of Robinson not being picked for our Blast matches.
Certainly Robinson's release to Durham for the Blast enabled him to invoke a clause in his contract and be released a year early. However, had he been keeper for the duration of the CC and given that he had such a successful Royal Insurance campaign that season for us (534 runs at 59.33 and S/R of 123.04) then it would not have taken much to convince him that he had a future with us in all forms of the game. Relationships between Kent an Robinson are still very good (Kent on social media wished him a happy birthday last week) and I suspect that the door is very much open for two years time. Unlike Cox who appears to have been the "fall guy" for Robinson's departure - both Downton and Billings mentioned when Cox left that he had been given opportunities to the detriment of "others".
Here's something that has just dawned on me - out of a squad of 22 we now only have five capped players namely Denly, DBD, Billings, Crawley and Leaning and of those Billings will only play in the Blast and Crawley will probably be seen more times in England and London Spirit shirt next season.
That brings home how the squad has evolved and that we really have lost, in recent times, so many capped players that were part of the fabric of our Club be it because they were homegrown and/or because of their contribution namely the likes of Stevens, Kuhn, Henry, Podmore, Milne, Milnes, Robinson, Cox and Blake. I am also slightly surprised that Grant Stewart hasn't been capped too.
Arshdeep Singh proving why he is a better white ball than red ball bowler - finishes with figures in an ODI for India against SA with figures of 10-0-37-5 and taking out four of the top five in the process.
Comments
https://www.kentcricket.co.uk/news/mens-coaching-staff-confirmed-for-2024-season/
As I say, Radford is very technical and experienced too:
Experience
Consultancy England and Wales Cricket Board -ECB
From Sept 2019 – present
West Indies Cricket Team – Batting/Assistant Coach
From 2016 - 2019
I was Batting coach and Assistant Coach for the senior international side.
Helped the team to win its first Test Match in England for 18 years in 2017 and achieve its first Test Match series win against England in the Caribbean for 20 years
Glamorgan Country Cricket Club - Head Coach
From 2013-2015
Head Coach of the county team and responsible for the day-to-day management of all support staff and county players and the Coaching of the professional playing staff.- Was pleased that the Club equaled its record of 4 Championship wins in a row in 2015
West Indies Cricket Team - Batting / Assistant Coach
From 2012-2013
Cricket West Indies – Consultancy
From 2011-2012
Cricket West Indies – Director of High Performance Center
From 2010-2011
Consultancy England and Wales Cricket Board - ECB - Head Coach of England Training Camp
From 2009-2010
Middlesex County Cricket Club - Head Coach
From 2007-2009
Middlesex County Cricket Club – Academy Director / Second Eleven Coach
From 2005-2007
Middlesex Country Cricket Club - Academy Director
From 2003-2005
England and Wales Cricket Board - ECB
From 2001-2003
Professional Qualifications
ECB Level 4 Coach
2:1 Journalism Degree (City University, London)
Quintic / sportscode/ crickstat
Other Achievements
Professional cricketer with Middlesex and Sussex CCC
Toured Australia with Young England in 1990/91
Toured New Zealand with Young England 1991/92
References (available on request)
Eoin Morgan - England One Day Captain
Jason Holder – West Indies Test Match Captain
Jimmy Adams – Director of Cricket – Cricket West Indies
Andrew Strauss – Chairman of ECB Cricket Committee
But watched some of his videos on social media, he looks a very good coach.
2xl cricket isn't that great to be honest, I think they should scrap that! It doesn't offer enough of a transition from club cricket to first class cricket.. In fact, I think 2xl cricket is a dip.. Players turning up more pissed than club cricket, players can't be ars*d. And the cricket isn't competitive either, bit more turning an arm over, and get a bit of form..
As I've said previously, it is interesting the way England have utilised Jaydn. In the two Test matches against Australia U19s he opened the batting with some success with scores of 9, 69, 42 and 74 but was only sparingly thrown the ball in bowling just a dozen overs in total. In the recent Tri ODI Series against India and Bangladesh his scores and batting positions were 0 (3), 50 (3), 2 (1), 0 (7), 0 (8) and DNB (8) but he was very much a "go to" bowler in the sense that he came on at first or second changed in all six matches to return impressive figures of 46.3-1-202-8.
Ultimately, as @DubaiCAFC suggests, Jaydn might well be an opening batsman in red ball but not yet a front line bowler in that discipline. Whereas in white ball cricket he is a bowler that can contain and create pressure as a result but might need to bide his time so far as batting is concerned particularly as he doesn't yet possess the stamp of some of the power hitters that we do see at U19 level - there again, he isn't 18 for another month so has at least another year in him at this level.
Somehow social media went from Aaron Finch to Adam Finch to Harry Finch. Just goes to show that a little information is a little dangerous sometimes. Having said that and as much as I like Harry Finch, I do think that it is a bit disappointing that our social media department opts to give such a build up to someone signing a one year extension beyond the season he is already committed to.
There's no reason why Billings can't play some CC games either, assuming he's got his issues sorted.
I am far from saying that the intention is not to retain Finch beyond 2025 but, as Billings' contract also ends at that point, it will make decision making more open at that time should we want to keep both and/or re-sign a certain former keeper of ours (signed a three-year contract at the beginning of last season at his current Club - also assuming that he wants to come back that is)
https://www.kentcricket.co.uk/news/t20-captain-billings-commits-to-kent-with-white-ball-deal/
That brings home how the squad has evolved and that we really have lost, in recent times, so many capped players that were part of the fabric of our Club be it because they were homegrown and/or because of their contribution namely the likes of Stevens, Kuhn, Henry, Podmore, Milne, Milnes, Robinson, Cox and Blake. I am also slightly surprised that Grant Stewart hasn't been capped too.