It was a solid set of performances and appeared to show considerably more cricket "nous" than we have shown in terms of discipline, intensity and game planning.
At the very least they looked and operated like a group of professional sportsmen.
Of course the nature of the opposition did come into play as indeed did the pitches.
On the plus side Crawley, Rouse, Stewart, Riley, Qayyam all showed they may have something to offer.
The departure of Northeast is a disappointment but he needed to go. A lad of significant talent he needs to find out just how good he can be. No excuses, no hiding place, he is putting his talent on the line. He will either sink or swim. I wish him well.
On balance I can see why he would not be the first choice as captain. He has followed the "laissez faire", "natural talent will out" philosophy of a Rob Key. The difference being Rob Key had an immense talent to carry the side and as we have seen as a Sky analyst an excellent analytical understanding of the game.
For all his undoubted talent SNE never quite convinced as a leader often looking like he turned up for games as if he had spent the night sleeping in the car.
That said he was not operating in the best of circumstances though the comparisons with Denness read like an agents script. SNE is no Mike Denness.
The timing of the FGS competition in terms of its value to the season is questionable but on this occasion it ticked a number of boxes.
It enabled Donald to get his feet under the table and work with the players.
It gave people a chance to stake a claim for the coming season in terms of whether they were able to deliver positive contributions at a professional standard, i.e. are they flattering to deceive or do they have the talent, intent and ability to deliver.
Questions of course remain, though DBD ended up 3rd top scorer in the competition, Crawley showed he can play at this level, Dickson can play one day cricket, Gidman & Denly can bowl, Stewart has something to offer and praise the Lord both Riley and Quayyam can take wickets and exert some control.
Disappointingly Blake continues to show he is always one shot selection away from contributing very little. He had a real opportunity to show he could play beyond a 30 run cameo. LEqually we saw nothing of Hunn or Robinson. Surely either could have played against the US. This in reality was a winter sun training camp.
There is a very long way to go.
In truth Denly will add a great deal. Billings with his international dalliances less so. Stevens is another year older.
DBD, Crawley, Dickson, Denly, Stevens, Rouse, Gidman, Haggett/ Stewart, Claydon, Riley/ Qayyam, Thomas will I regret not strike fear into any oChampionship Division 2 rivals. It is not the bowling attack to bowl the opposition out twice.
In the white ball game they probably have enough to give anyone on their day a game providing Denly and DBD continue as before.
In reality they need Billings to decide whether he wants to be more than a "stand in" on whatever world stage becomes available and fulfill his potential before adding at least one front line batsmen, one (spin) all rounder and two wicket taking pace bowlers.
Quite how you squeeze that lot out of an overseas player allocation, Kolpak and the unattached professional market in one season is beyond me.
We can but live in hope and resign ourselves to enjoying the now less than attractive St Lawrence, the revitalised Beckenham hub and the Tunbridge Wells rhododendrons.
In reality they need Billings to decide whether he wants to be more than a "stand in" on whatever world stage becomes available and fulfill his potential before adding at least one front line batsmen, one (spin) all rounder and two wicket taking pace bowlers.
Agree except for the spin bowling all rounder! Between Tredwell, Riley, Qayyum and Denly (who to me can now be classed as all rounder in the white ball game) we're well catered for, especially in "English" conditions.
It was a solid set of performances and appeared to show considerably more cricket "nous" than we have shown in terms of discipline, intensity and game planning.
At the very least they looked and operated like a group of professional sportsmen.
Of course the nature of the opposition did come into play as indeed did the pitches.
On the plus side Crawley, Rouse, Stewart, Riley, Qayyam all showed they may have something to offer.
The departure of Northeast is a disappointment but he needed to go. A lad of significant talent he needs to find out just how good he can be. No excuses, no hiding place, he is putting his talent on the line. He will either sink or swim. I wish him well.
On balance I can see why he would not be the first choice as captain. He has followed the "laissez faire", "natural talent will out" philosophy of a Rob Key. The difference being Rob Key had an immense talent to carry the side and as we have seen as a Sky analyst an excellent analytical understanding of the game.
For all his undoubted talent SNE never quite convinced as a leader often looking like he turned up for games as if he had spent the night sleeping in the car.
That said he was not operating in the best of circumstances though the comparisons with Denness read like an agents script. SNE is no Mike Denness.
The timing of the FGS competition in terms of its value to the season is questionable but on this occasion it ticked a number of boxes.
It enabled Donald to get his feet under the table and work with the players.
It gave people a chance to stake a claim for the coming season in terms of whether they were able to deliver positive contributions at a professional standard, i.e. are they flattering to deceive or do they have the talent, intent and ability to deliver.
Questions of course remain, though DBD ended up 3rd top scorer in the competition, Crawley showed he can play at this level, Dickson can play one day cricket, Gidman & Denly can bowl, Stewart has something to offer and praise the Lord both Riley and Quayyam can take wickets and exert some control.
Disappointingly Blake continues to show he is always one shot selection away from contributing very little. He had a real opportunity to show he could play beyond a 30 run cameo. LEqually we saw nothing of Hunn or Robinson. Surely either could have played against the US. This in reality was a winter sun training camp.
There is a very long way to go.
In truth Denly will add a great deal. Billings with his international dalliances less so. Stevens is another year older.
DBD, Crawley, Dickson, Denly, Stevens, Rouse, Gidman, Haggett/ Stewart, Claydon, Riley/ Qayyam, Thomas will I regret not strike fear into any oChampionship Division 2 rivals. It is not the bowling attack to bowl the opposition out twice.
In the white ball game they probably have enough to give anyone on their day a game providing Denly and DBD continue as before.
In reality they need Billings to decide whether he wants to be more than a "stand in" on whatever world stage becomes available and fulfill his potential before adding at least one front line batsmen, one (spin) all rounder and two wicket taking pace bowlers.
Quite how you squeeze that lot out of an overseas player allocation, Kolpak and the unattached professional market in one season is beyond me.
We can but live in hope and resign ourselves to enjoying the now less than attractive St Lawrence, the revitalised Beckenham hub and the Tunbridge Wells rhododendrons.
A very good analysis Grapevine.
Just a few things to add:
Like a lot of Kent supporters there is a belief that two or even three South Africans will be joining us with the likes of JPD and Parnell in the frame. With the departure of SNE (including some financial compensation), Coles, Ball, Barnard and Hartley there must be funds available to bring in some quality. Here's hoping.
Hunn was never going to play as I understand that he is having his action remodelled and Donald is and will be a major part of doing that. Disappointing for Ollie Robinson not to get a game but, clearly, they wanted to win this comp and needed to qualify for the semis to do so. When Billings comes back, both Adam Rouse and Ollie will need to push for a batting spot if they are going to get into the first team. Claydon was injured and Tredwell was displaced by the other two spinning options.
Denly's recent prominence with the ball creates another option and means that we will have two spinners in the team. Shame it took a decade to start making use of him.
So my glass is more half full than empty. We have the basis of a good side and with a few additions I think we will do OK.
Just heard some positive news regarding Kent, was obviously told by this guy ( on the Kent staff ) a few months back that northeast was going to hampshire which I think I posted here , he's now told the duminy deal is actually due to happen and that we are looking into getting in morkel and parnell, both as a kolpacks. Proving a lot more difficult to convince parnell as he's expecting a child with his other half, so I'm told.
Just heard some positive news regarding Kent, was obviously told by this guy ( on the Kent staff ) a few months back that northeast was going to hampshire which I think I posted here , he's now told the duminy deal is actually due to happen and that we are looking into getting in morkel and parnell, both as a kolpacks. Proving a lot more difficult to convince parnell as he's expecting a child with his other half, so I'm told.
Just heard some positive news regarding Kent, was obviously told by this guy ( on the Kent staff ) a few months back that northeast was going to hampshire which I think I posted here , he's now told the duminy deal is actually due to happen and that we are looking into getting in morkel and parnell, both as a kolpacks. Proving a lot more difficult to convince parnell as he's expecting a child with his other half, so I'm told.
Just heard some positive news regarding Kent, was obviously told by this guy ( on the Kent staff ) a few months back that northeast was going to hampshire which I think I posted here , he's now told the duminy deal is actually due to happen and that we are looking into getting in morkel and parnell, both as a kolpacks. Proving a lot more difficult to convince parnell as he's expecting a child with his other half, so I'm told.
I can see Morkel coming to England as a kolpak, but to us?
Alan Donald influence?
We've managed to offload a fair amount of our wage bill with the departures of Northeast (plus compensation), Coles, Ball, Bernard and Hartley and we now have a relatively small squad of 18.
Let's face it if we get those three we really should be knocking on the promotion door so this time next year we would be a Div 1 Club and the signings of those three wouldn't be beyond our expectations.
Just heard some positive news regarding Kent, was obviously told by this guy ( on the Kent staff ) a few months back that northeast was going to hampshire which I think I posted here , he's now told the duminy deal is actually due to happen and that we are looking into getting in morkel and parnell, both as a kolpacks. Proving a lot more difficult to convince parnell as he's expecting a child with his other half, so I'm told.
I can see Morkel coming to England as a kolpak, but to us?
Alan Donald influence?
We've managed to offload a fair amount of our wage bill with the departures of Northeast (plus compensation), Coles, Ball, Bernard and Hartley and we now have a relatively small squad of 18.
Let's face it if we get those three we really should be knocking on the promotion door so this time next year we would be a Div 1 Club and the signings of those three wouldn't be beyond our expectations.
I was more concerned that a Div 1 county (with a better track record in the white ball stuff) would be a more attractive option than us?
Up the cricket league we go, when we win promotion.....
Warwickshire and Middlesex must be favourites to go straight back up. I can't see any of the others troubling those two.
Possibly but not sure Warwickshire have the bowling depth whereas our potential seam attack including Parnell, Morne and Stevens is probably as good as most Div 1 attacks. Our side might look something like this and in essence we would have replaced Northeast with JPD, Coles with Parnell and Claydon with Morkel:
Since the start of 2017 Joe Denly averages 64.12 runs per dismissal when batting in the Powerplay phase of the innings. That is the highest Powerplay average of any batsman in the world to have played 25 innings in that period.
Denly scored 28 off 14 balls in today's PPL match including a 104m maximum. He also took two catches, the second of which was probably as good a take as I have ever seen diving at backward point.
Comments
At the very least they looked and operated like a group of professional sportsmen.
Of course the nature of the opposition did come into play as indeed did the pitches.
On the plus side Crawley, Rouse, Stewart, Riley, Qayyam all showed they may have something to offer.
The departure of Northeast is a disappointment but he needed to go. A lad of significant talent he needs to find out just how good he can be. No excuses, no hiding place, he is putting his talent on the line. He will either sink or swim. I wish him well.
On balance I can see why he would not be the first choice as captain. He has followed the "laissez faire", "natural talent will out" philosophy of a Rob Key. The difference being Rob Key had an immense talent to carry the side and as we have seen as a Sky analyst an excellent analytical understanding of the game.
For all his undoubted talent SNE never quite convinced as a leader often looking like he turned up for games as if he had spent the night sleeping in the car.
That said he was not operating in the best of circumstances though the comparisons with Denness read like an agents script. SNE is no Mike Denness.
The timing of the FGS competition in terms of its value to the season is questionable but on this occasion it ticked a number of boxes.
It enabled Donald to get his feet under the table and work with the players.
It gave people a chance to stake a claim for the coming season in terms of whether they were able to deliver positive contributions at a professional standard, i.e. are they flattering to deceive or do they have the talent, intent and ability to deliver.
Questions of course remain, though DBD ended up 3rd top scorer in the competition, Crawley showed he can play at this level, Dickson can play one day cricket, Gidman & Denly can bowl, Stewart has something to offer and praise the Lord both Riley and Quayyam can take wickets and exert some control.
Disappointingly Blake continues to show he is always one shot selection away from contributing very little. He had a real opportunity to show he could play beyond a 30 run cameo. LEqually we saw nothing of Hunn or Robinson. Surely either could have played against the US. This in reality was a winter sun training camp.
There is a very long way to go.
In truth Denly will add a great deal. Billings with his international dalliances less so. Stevens is another year older.
DBD, Crawley, Dickson, Denly, Stevens, Rouse, Gidman, Haggett/ Stewart, Claydon, Riley/ Qayyam, Thomas will I regret not strike fear into any oChampionship Division 2 rivals. It is not the bowling attack to bowl the opposition out twice.
In the white ball game they probably have enough to give anyone on their day a game providing Denly and DBD continue as before.
In reality they need Billings to decide whether he wants to be more than a "stand in" on whatever world stage becomes available and fulfill his potential before adding at least one front line batsmen, one (spin) all rounder and two wicket taking pace bowlers.
Quite how you squeeze that lot out of an overseas player allocation, Kolpak and the unattached professional market in one season is beyond me.
We can but live in hope and resign ourselves to enjoying the now less than attractive St Lawrence, the revitalised Beckenham hub and the Tunbridge Wells rhododendrons.
Just a few things to add:
Like a lot of Kent supporters there is a belief that two or even three South Africans will be joining us with the likes of JPD and Parnell in the frame. With the departure of SNE (including some financial compensation), Coles, Ball, Barnard and Hartley there must be funds available to bring in some quality. Here's hoping.
Hunn was never going to play as I understand that he is having his action remodelled and Donald is and will be a major part of doing that. Disappointing for Ollie Robinson not to get a game but, clearly, they wanted to win this comp and needed to qualify for the semis to do so. When Billings comes back, both Adam Rouse and Ollie will need to push for a batting spot if they are going to get into the first team. Claydon was injured and Tredwell was displaced by the other two spinning options.
Denly's recent prominence with the ball creates another option and means that we will have two spinners in the team. Shame it took a decade to start making use of him.
So my glass is more half full than empty. We have the basis of a good side and with a few additions I think we will do OK.
Really think this boils down to the farce of our lack of promotion two seasons ago, it could have been oh so different.
Said at the time that I thought this could haunt us for a few years and I've seen nothing since to convince me otherwise.
We are 13/2 to win division which is way too skinny in my opinion
We've managed to offload a fair amount of our wage bill with the departures of Northeast (plus compensation), Coles, Ball, Bernard and Hartley and we now have a relatively small squad of 18.
Let's face it if we get those three we really should be knocking on the promotion door so this time next year we would be a Div 1 Club and the signings of those three wouldn't be beyond our expectations.
DBD
Dickson
Denly
JPD
Billings
Crawley/Blake/Rouse
Stevens
Gidman/Stewart
Parnell
Riley/Qayyum/Tredwell
Morkel
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/43198776
"I still feel there is a lot of cricket left in me and I am excited for what lies ahead," he added.
He must be talking about Kent.......
I hope
Since the start of 2017 Joe Denly averages 64.12 runs per dismissal when batting in the Powerplay phase of the innings. That is the highest Powerplay average of any batsman in the world to have played 25 innings in that period.