The difference in experience between the two bowling attacks is there for all to see - Abbot, Abbas and Dawson have something like 1,300 wickets between them whereas our whole bowling attack has less than 400 and half of those have been taken by Parkinson.
A major difference is that Hampshire have 2 multi season, all formats overseas in Mohammad Abbas and Abbott. Similarly Gloucestershire in Div 2 have had Cameron Bancroft all season.
By contrast, we have a rotating door of overseas players, who play a few games then disappear somewhere else.
Yes we don't have the budget of some other counties, but maybe we need to put some money into getting an experienced (and durable) all season overseas player, someone who can put down roots in Kent.
203-9 and a partnership of 43 to date for the 10th wicket between Garrett and Jas - the second highest of the innings. Poor Jas has been hit several times including from a beamer!
A major difference is that Hampshire have 2 multi season, all formats overseas in Mohammad Abbas and Abbott. Similarly Gloucestershire in Div 2 have had Cameron Bancroft all season.
By contrast, we have a rotating door of overseas players, who play a few games then disappear somewhere else.
Yes we don't have the budget of some other counties, but maybe we need to put some money into getting an experienced (and durable) all season overseas player, someone who can put down roots in Kent.
This is a fantastic point. An all season all formats Overseas I know is something of a rarity nowadays with so many international games and franchise competitions but the revolving door of overseas doesn't help anyone really.
Sussex have made it work this season with Pujara and Seales taking the first "chunk" of the County Champ and then Dan Hughes and Jaydev Unadkat the second chunk of the Champ. Hughes is already re-signed for all championship cricket and the Blast next summer and Seales will be back for the first block.
I think ideally going and finding an experienced top order overseas batsman who can be around for the bulk of the summer and help develop the younger players would be the ideal move looking at it from the outside. Would be great if you could get Cricket Australia to let Xavier Bartlett come back too.
We do already have big Wes Agar coming back. Jas is going out for the fourth consecutive summer to Adelaide and I believe will be staying with and playing for the same club as Wes (albeit Wes will have State and Big Bash duties too)
All our money seems to have gone on bowlers, whether new signings or short term overseas, but our batting resources have looked short all season.
We knew we would be without Zak for most of the summer, we lost Cox to Essex, lost Bilbo from the red ball team and Blake from the white ball team, plus Joe Denly is getting near the end. Yet we brought nobody in last winter.
All our money seems to have gone on bowlers, whether new signings or short term overseas, but our batting resources have looked short all season.
We knew we would be without Zak for most of the summer, we lost Cox to Essex, lost Bilbo from the red ball team and Blake from the white ball team, plus Joe Denly is getting near the end. Yet we brought nobody in last winter.
And Robinson the summer before that. I think we probably thought we could get away with any 7 from 8 of Compton, Crawley, DBD, Joe Denly, Muyeye, Leaning, Evison and Finch (with O'Riordan as back up). Muyeye was the one dropped when Crawley was available and Evison has been looking to move up the order so both would have been compromised with another batter coming in. We lost Cox and Robinson and it was probably seen that we couldn't afford two of our only remaining youngsters in the first team. Equally, as we've seen, our bowling resources, without two overseas, are woefully short and in the knowledge that our seamers historically get injured, it was probably the lesser of the two evils to get in two quicks from abroad.
Compton and Crawley will probably be off at the end of the season but that doesn't actually help us much given so far as freeing up money is concerned given that the former won't be the highest paid and the latter has a central contract that pays his wages.
All our money seems to have gone on bowlers, whether new signings or short term overseas, but our batting resources have looked short all season.
We knew we would be without Zak for most of the summer, we lost Cox to Essex, lost Bilbo from the red ball team and Blake from the white ball team, plus Joe Denly is getting near the end. Yet we brought nobody in last winter.
And Robinson the summer before that. I think we probably thought we could get away with any 7 from 8 of Compton, Crawley, DBD, Joe Denly, Muyeye, Leaning, Evison and Finch. Muyeye was the one dropped when Crawley was available. As we've seen our bowling resources, without two overseas, are woefully short and in the knowledge that our seamers historically get injured, it was probably the lesser of the two evils.
Compton and Crawley will probably be off at the end of the season but that doesn't actually help us much given so far as freeing up money is concerned given that the former won't be the highest paid and the latter has a central contract that pays his wages.
7 from 8 when Crawley is going to be away for much of the season means 7 from 7 for most of the time, and there will always be injuries or losses of form. O'Riordan as the spare batsman just isn't good enough, so when Crawley is away the other batsmen are effectively undroppable.
Before this game we had 9 batting points in 11 games, which is pathetic.
All our money seems to have gone on bowlers, whether new signings or short term overseas, but our batting resources have looked short all season.
We knew we would be without Zak for most of the summer, we lost Cox to Essex, lost Bilbo from the red ball team and Blake from the white ball team, plus Joe Denly is getting near the end. Yet we brought nobody in last winter.
And Robinson the summer before that. I think we probably thought we could get away with any 7 from 8 of Compton, Crawley, DBD, Joe Denly, Muyeye, Leaning, Evison and Finch. Muyeye was the one dropped when Crawley was available. As we've seen our bowling resources, without two overseas, are woefully short and in the knowledge that our seamers historically get injured, it was probably the lesser of the two evils.
Compton and Crawley will probably be off at the end of the season but that doesn't actually help us much given so far as freeing up money is concerned given that the former won't be the highest paid and the latter has a central contract that pays his wages.
7 from 8 when Crawley is going to be away for much of the season means 7 from 7 for most of the time, and there will always be injuries or losses of form. O'Riordan as the spare batsman just isn't good enough, so when Crawley is away the other batsmen are effectively undroppable.
Before this game we had 9 batting points in 11 games, which is pathetic.
I agree about the batting bonus points but it was the bowling points that kept us up last season - 20 versus 34. As I showed above, the batting averages of those experienced players this season are in keeping with their career averages. Those historic innings from Stevens in the late middle order tended to mask that as he and the likes of Henry, Milnes, Milne and Podmore did with the ball in bowling sides out.
What we have done wrong in the last two or three seasons is taking for granted the youngsters we've had and they've left as a result. An overseas batsman may not have performed any better because we aren't going to be able to afford a "gun" - we would have ended up with a Heino Kuhn. No improvement whatsoever. Neither was George Linde as an all rounder. Another batter would have meant leaving Muyeye out for the duration as he would have been the fall guy, like Robinson was at that age, simply because when everyone is as mediocre as each other, it is always the youngster that is left out. Robinson was relatively cheap as was Cox but we abused the talent we had. Could we have afforded to do the same with Muyeye? We would not have dropped Crawley, Leaning, Compton, DBD or Joe Denly had they been available and fit even though they've all been as average as each other.
We signed Cohen and he's been out for the season without bowling a ball as has Klaassen. Quinn has missed most of the season. Gilchrist has struggled with his fitness. Stewart has picked up 6 wickets all season. They are still taking a wage. That is why we had to have two overseas bowlers. Without two overseas seamers, we end up with the attack we have in this game - Stobo plus any two from Garrett, Jas or Arafat. As we've found, that attack will not bowl out a side cheaply even with Parkinson in the team who has himself been disappointing. Equally, we can't afford a Henry or Milne and why we hire the likes of Agar, Stobo etc - they are in the second tier of overseas bowlers and that is the pool of cricketers we are fishing in.
A major difference is that Hampshire have 2 multi season, all formats overseas in Mohammad Abbas and Abbott. Similarly Gloucestershire in Div 2 have had Cameron Bancroft all season.
By contrast, we have a rotating door of overseas players, who play a few games then disappear somewhere else.
Yes we don't have the budget of some other counties, but maybe we need to put some money into getting an experienced (and durable) all season overseas player, someone who can put down roots in Kent.
This is a fantastic point. An all season all formats Overseas I know is something of a rarity nowadays with so many international games and franchise competitions but the revolving door of overseas doesn't help anyone really.
Sussex have made it work this season with Pujara and Seales taking the first "chunk" of the County Champ and then Dan Hughes and Jaydev Unadkat the second chunk of the Champ. Hughes is already re-signed for all championship cricket and the Blast next summer and Seales will be back for the first block.
I think ideally going and finding an experienced top order overseas batsman who can be around for the bulk of the summer and help develop the younger players would be the ideal move looking at it from the outside. Would be great if you could get Cricket Australia to let Xavier Bartlett come back too.
Note that Xavier will be playing in tonight's T20.
A major difference is that Hampshire have 2 multi season, all formats overseas in Mohammad Abbas and Abbott. Similarly Gloucestershire in Div 2 have had Cameron Bancroft all season.
By contrast, we have a rotating door of overseas players, who play a few games then disappear somewhere else.
Yes we don't have the budget of some other counties, but maybe we need to put some money into getting an experienced (and durable) all season overseas player, someone who can put down roots in Kent.
This is a fantastic point. An all season all formats Overseas I know is something of a rarity nowadays with so many international games and franchise competitions but the revolving door of overseas doesn't help anyone really.
Sussex have made it work this season with Pujara and Seales taking the first "chunk" of the County Champ and then Dan Hughes and Jaydev Unadkat the second chunk of the Champ. Hughes is already re-signed for all championship cricket and the Blast next summer and Seales will be back for the first block.
I think ideally going and finding an experienced top order overseas batsman who can be around for the bulk of the summer and help develop the younger players would be the ideal move looking at it from the outside. Would be great if you could get Cricket Australia to let Xavier Bartlett come back too.
Note that Xavier will be playing in tonight's T20.
He still has one year to run. Unless they've signed a contract in the interim that I'm not aware of, the ones that are potentially out of contract this season are Crawley, Klaassen, Stewart, Compton, Qadri, Quinn, Gilchrist, O'Riordan and Arafat. Clearly, some of those will be leaving and one or two will be invited to sign a new one but one suspects that no announcements will be made until at least our fate in the CC is sealed. Whatever happens, there will be plenty of scope for new signings.
Comments
160-9
By contrast, we have a rotating door of overseas players, who play a few games then disappear somewhere else.
Yes we don't have the budget of some other counties, but maybe we need to put some money into getting an experienced (and durable) all season overseas player, someone who can put down roots in Kent.
207 all out and a deficit of 196
About time the likes of Leaning pulled their socks up & followed suit. Can't believe he was possibly one of my favourites last season.
TBH, I'm bored with dancing and seeing that 6 letter word flash up on my screen time after time.
Come on , guys. Show some pride.
This is a fantastic point. An all season all formats Overseas I know is something of a rarity nowadays with so many international games and franchise competitions but the revolving door of overseas doesn't help anyone really.
Sussex have made it work this season with Pujara and Seales taking the first "chunk" of the County Champ and then Dan Hughes and Jaydev Unadkat the second chunk of the Champ. Hughes is already re-signed for all championship cricket and the Blast next summer and Seales will be back for the first block.
I think ideally going and finding an experienced top order overseas batsman who can be around for the bulk of the summer and help develop the younger players would be the ideal move looking at it from the outside. Would be great if you could get Cricket Australia to let Xavier Bartlett come back too.
We knew we would be without Zak for most of the summer, we lost Cox to Essex, lost Bilbo from the red ball team and Blake from the white ball team, plus Joe Denly is getting near the end. Yet we brought nobody in last winter.
Compton and Crawley will probably be off at the end of the season but that doesn't actually help us much given so far as freeing up money is concerned given that the former won't be the highest paid and the latter has a central contract that pays his wages.
Before this game we had 9 batting points in 11 games, which is pathetic.
What we have done wrong in the last two or three seasons is taking for granted the youngsters we've had and they've left as a result. An overseas batsman may not have performed any better because we aren't going to be able to afford a "gun" - we would have ended up with a Heino Kuhn. No improvement whatsoever. Neither was George Linde as an all rounder. Another batter would have meant leaving Muyeye out for the duration as he would have been the fall guy, like Robinson was at that age, simply because when everyone is as mediocre as each other, it is always the youngster that is left out. Robinson was relatively cheap as was Cox but we abused the talent we had. Could we have afforded to do the same with Muyeye? We would not have dropped Crawley, Leaning, Compton, DBD or Joe Denly had they been available and fit even though they've all been as average as each other.
We signed Cohen and he's been out for the season without bowling a ball as has Klaassen. Quinn has missed most of the season. Gilchrist has struggled with his fitness. Stewart has picked up 6 wickets all season. They are still taking a wage. That is why we had to have two overseas bowlers. Without two overseas seamers, we end up with the attack we have in this game - Stobo plus any two from Garrett, Jas or Arafat. As we've found, that attack will not bowl out a side cheaply even with Parkinson in the team who has himself been disappointing. Equally, we can't afford a Henry or Milne and why we hire the likes of Agar, Stobo etc - they are in the second tier of overseas bowlers and that is the pool of cricketers we are fishing in.
94-2 and still 102 behind
112-3
118-4
138-5 and still 58 behind
Those I believe still to be in contract:
DBD
Billings (white ball)
Agar (overseas)
Leaning
Denly (Joe)
Muyeye
Denly (Jaydn)
Cohen
Evison
Finch
Garrett
Parkinson
Singh (Jas)
Singh (Ekansh)
Leaning 28* (60)
Finch 3* (19)