What exactly is Kent’s tactics this season?? We rarely bowl teams out and when we bat, we just about go at 3 an over and fail to get any batting points as we run out of time.
The direction the Club is going under this management is probably the worst I have seen in my 20 years of watching this club.
Some of the current players aren't good enough, we can't afford to hire many of those that are and our age group cricket system isn't producing enough players. We've also made blunders with a few of the players we've signed.
One such player is James Logan, for example. We gave him a three year contract and he didn't play a first team game in any form (and that includes the 50 over comp) for the final two years of that contract. When the finances are tight, we cannot afford to make mistakes like that especially when there are better cricketers around. There is a player in my son's club side who played for the Kent 1s during covid for a start (Two T20s returning 8-0-47-4). He has the same action and is a better batsman and fielder too - his figures in the KPL this season are 30-3-78-5 (ER 2.60) and has scored the most runs in the KPL too with 176 in his three innings. In the opening game of the season, Darren Stevens scored 114 off 140 balls - he faced 41 balls from this bowler and scored just 12.
I'm not saying that he would be a red ball fixture but he's certainly good enough to play in the Blast and 50 over comp, bowling and batting at 6/7/8 whereas Logan, unfortunately, didn't have the inherent ability to do so at all (last season Logan in the KPL took 16 wickets at 27.63 and had an ER of 5.50). We had a choice at the time and chose the wrong one. My son's team mate is now a teacher and probably wouldn't want to now give up the certainty of that. Four years ago, when Logan was given his contract, he certainly would have done so.
Annoyed to read on the KCCC email tonight that the 2's match v Middx next Monday, due to be played at TW has been switched to the Polo Farm, Canterbury as the outfield won't be up to scratch.
Half term & local so was planning to take 8 year old Jacob as he was interested ( well, slightly) in last season's televised T20s.
Having been there yeaterday, I can safely say that it is a long time since he walked on an outfield as "spongy" as that at The Nevill. And that is a recipe for injury, one because the top can come off if sliding and/or a player's studs does get caught in the turf. The deck isn't great either and the facilities are really poor for what is meant to be a county ground. The most idyllic setting for a First Class cricket match but the rest, currently anyway, is second class. Such a shame but I just can't see a solution. Councils, in the current climate don't have the money and Kent don't have any and certainly not for a ground that they don't own.
So the non 100 Counties eg Kent are selling their members’ first class summers.
But what will they have left for their 1st team per season as a result? T20 blast perhaps. Will they be part of the new reduced “county championship? Unlikely. Top 8
women’s cricket. No. If it is just T20 it explains why the CEO said England has to have the 2nd best white ball league in the world and that the USA competition is a threat so the money is needed to keep the best players!
Both Gilchrist and Garrett still injured I assume, to add to the endless list of injuries
Gilchrist, Garrett, Quinn and Cohen are all injured and despite what we were originally told, Stobo is not being allowed to play due to an agreement with have with Western Australia and Cricket Australia. How restrictive that agreement is hasn't been declared. Any three from those five seam bowlers being available might have softened the blow of having to rest Swanepoel.
We should also remember why fast bowlers like Archer are migrating to T20 cricket. Swanepoel, for example, could have played in 15 T20s for the equivalent of the two CC matches he has played. It's not just the number of overs - it's those overs being bowled so close together. Including friendlies, that will be 10 red ball matches we will have played in the first 9 weeks of the season. We will also have completed half of our CC fixtures for the season before the end of May - in July/August we might well have played two spinners and one less seamer but that option has been taken away from us by the ECB. The fact that England's four spinners that toured India namely Leach, Bashir, Hartley and Ahmed have 13 wickets between them tells us all we need to know about how redundant a spinner can be at this time of year in county red ball cricket.
When will Quinn be back?
Modern bowlers don't seem very durable, when compared to the old county trundlers who would bowl thousands of overs. And it does feel that when we sign bowlers, we end up with the ones with dubious fitness records, when you contrast us with say Essex, with the likes of Cook and Porter.
Shame he missed out on his maiden 50, but his batting this season seems way better than before.
Whereas his bowling doesn't appear as good. He's still our leading wicket taker with 18 but at 52.66 apiece and an economy rate of 4.30, he is neither running through sides nor building pressure for the seamers. It is still May but, like a broken record, I should point out that we are one day away now from being half way through the CC season.
260-5 after 100 overs, so struggling to get many batting points again. We have made a habit of either getting poor 1st innings scores or having an early collapse, meaning the middle order have to grind it out slowly. 10 overs to get 40 runs for another batting point feels unlikely.
No excuses not to be able to bat out the 96 overs tomorrow, as the pitch clearly is easy to bat on at the moment, and our 1st innings lasted 143 overs.
Still looking good for "our" Ollie Rob and the England WK position (forget Johnny B - England are looking forwards not backwards hence the pressure put upon Jimmy to retire):
Robinson - 542 runs, average 77.42, strike rate 84.16 Smith - 421 runs, average 46.77, strike rate 80.80 Foakes - 170 runs, average 28.33, strike rate 43.92 Rew - 241 runs , average 24.10, strike rate 63.92
Hampshire were never going to be relegation rivals. Of more relevance are the Lancs vs Warks game, which Warks are well ahead in, and Notts vs Worcs where Notts are well ahead in. Weather has impacted both badly though.
Comments
One such player is James Logan, for example. We gave him a three year contract and he didn't play a first team game in any form (and that includes the 50 over comp) for the final two years of that contract. When the finances are tight, we cannot afford to make mistakes like that especially when there are better cricketers around. There is a player in my son's club side who played for the Kent 1s during covid for a start (Two T20s returning 8-0-47-4). He has the same action and is a better batsman and fielder too - his figures in the KPL this season are 30-3-78-5 (ER 2.60) and has scored the most runs in the KPL too with 176 in his three innings. In the opening game of the season, Darren Stevens scored 114 off 140 balls - he faced 41 balls from this bowler and scored just 12.
I'm not saying that he would be a red ball fixture but he's certainly good enough to play in the Blast and 50 over comp, bowling and batting at 6/7/8 whereas Logan, unfortunately, didn't have the inherent ability to do so at all (last season Logan in the KPL took 16 wickets at 27.63 and had an ER of 5.50). We had a choice at the time and chose the wrong one. My son's team mate is now a teacher and probably wouldn't want to now give up the certainty of that. Four years ago, when Logan was given his contract, he certainly would have done so.
If it is just T20 it explains why the CEO said England has to have the 2nd best white ball league in the world and that the USA competition is a threat so the money is needed to keep the best players!
Surrey 127
Hampshire 608-6 declared
217-5
But surely we should be sympathising with our fellow cricket lovers from a neighbouring county .....
Robinson - 542 runs, average 77.42, strike rate 84.16
Smith - 421 runs, average 46.77, strike rate 80.80
Foakes - 170 runs, average 28.33, strike rate 43.92
Rew - 241 runs , average 24.10, strike rate 63.92
Anyway with just 3 bonus points from this match thus far we desperately need the draw particularly with Hampshire thrashing Surrey.
If we play sensibly we should be capable of batting the day out given that Cook is injured.
Parky did well to get 48. Shame about the jug avoidance. He deserved 50 from nightwatchman.