Kent Cricket 2026

Some massive improvements, albeit with only two games behind us, on last season.

Crawley - is an improvement on last season but only for the fact that he will, hopefully, be available for all the Blast matches because he actually did very well last year too - 242 runs in 5 innings in fact. We know that his vulnerability is against the moving red ball early on and the fact that he has, for the last two years, been batting at 3 when the white ball has, invariably, lost its affect, is a positive. On that note, I could see him actually giving up red ball to concentrate on the shorter formats in year to come.

Billings - he had a very poor Blast last year with just 188 runs in 14 innings. He's already amassed 112 in his 2 innings to date and has looked full of confidence. 

Lintott - at last a spinner who has the variations that keep the batter guessing. He has a career E/R of under 8 and has taken a wicket every 17.6 balls. To date for us, he has 2-52 off 8 overs. 

Forrester - what a potential find. A genuine match changing all-rounder with bat and ball. Enough said.

Milnes - yes he went for 22 in his first over yesterday when he, like the other Kent early bowlers got their length wrong, but he demonstrated that he can pull things back and to go for just 7 at the death in bowling the 18th and 20th overs was incredible. He is a direct replacement for Gilchrist who last season took 15 wickets at 24.26 but was expensive with an E/R of 10.60  

With DBD and Muyeye up top and putting pressure on the opposition in the power play, Denly potentially coming in later (averaged 31.20 last year with a strike rate of 141.70) and also offering us his leggies, we have a very strong top 6. 

Rogers is better than he has shown with the ball but let's not forget that we do have Dudgeon waiting in the wings as a like-for-like replacement. Time might have now caught up with Klaassen but I'd like to think that he will turn things around. Cohen would be his likely replacement offering us that left arm option. 

Depending on the balance of the side and the pitch conditions, that final place in what most would consider to be our best side, will go to one of Foreman, Evison, Stewart, Cohen and Parkinson. So that's 17 players mentioned and doesn't take into account the likes of Benjamin and Finch or, for that matter the other half a dozen players in the squad including the likes of Dawkins and Ekansh who have both done well in the CC this season.

We've not had a white ball squad as strong as this one in a few years. The 25/1 on us winning the Vitality Blast has long since departed the room. We are now a best priced 12/1 and as short as 9/1 which is, admittedly, on the skinny side but a reflection of how much we are now feared - just a handful of counties are now ahead of us in the market.  

Briston_Addick said:

I watched yesterday's game on the stream, joining the match just after Forrester had taken his three wickets and Sussex were 120-odd for 4.

Wow! I didn't see that one coming!

I fully expected Sussex to rack up 220/230+ from that position so to keep them below 200 was a good effort.

On top of that, I was staggered that we were able to keep up with the run chase and then put our collective foot down so that even if Sussex had managed 230 I think we'd have run that down quite easily.

At the risk of going all Spitfire-glass-half-empty (or, even worse, a-fairly-full-Spitfire-glass-knocked-out-of-hands-and-smashed-on-floor) and my natural pessimism taking over ... at what point is Forrester going to be injured and ruled out for the rest of the season?

As I say he's missing two games in all probability in order to play for South Africa A. Which is when he will sustain that injury!

IR94 said:

Addick Addict said:

I think Middlesex will be one of the lesser sides but an excellent win nevertheless. 

Rogers, once again, proved that he is a decent T20 overseas. Lintott looks an excellent recruit. Along with Billings, DBD, Muyeye, Crawley, Denly, Milnes, Klaassen and Forrester, once he arrives, will make ten. That final place will go to one of Evison, Benjamin, Foreman or Parkinson depending on form and the nature of the wicket albeit playing Parkinson will lengthen the tail. 

Don't forget Finch, who had a good campaign last in this comp, even Northeast has said he wants to play this format, and Dudgeon and Stewart still to come back, getting some good depth.

I have mentioned them all bar Northeast in my post above. He might, as I'm sure Compton would, like to play in this format but whether he will is another thing altogether - there has to be a reason why he didn't play a single game in last season's Blast for Glamorgan (they finished below Kent too) and with us potentially wanting the seven bowling options we had yesterday to give us the most variations, he is competing for a place with DBD, Muyeye and Crawley. As are Finch and Benjamin for that matter albeit one of those two would come should Billings be injured. 

Kent 2s, made up wholly of contracted players, took on their counterparts at Sussex yesterday but were defeated by 2 wickets with 21 balls to spare.

The only performances of note came from Evison (45 off 15) and Parkinson ( 4-0-18-2). I don't think Stewart is yet in a position to force his way into the first team - 11 off 12 with the bat and bowling figures of 2-0-31-0 which does suggest that he might have a little way to go.

The one other significant aspect, though, is that, despite Finch and Benjamin being in the side, Dawkins took the gloves which is not something he has done in a good while for county or club for that matter. 

You wouldn't believe that this is Beckenham given what the ball has been doing

51* (74) for Ekansh

190-9 (54) at tea

Ekansh 92* (132)