Interesting debate whether you can keep and open the batting in the long form game.
Also Interesting that they have multiple options with the gloves. If Robinson did open and bat for two days perhaps one of the others could take the gloves for a session to give him a break ? Wasn’t Cox an England u19 keeper ?
Genuinely believe that Robinson is technically a better opening bat than Cox. Issue I believe is that all the time he has the gloves (and he is the better keeper too) then Kent are reluctant to give him the job. But if and when Billings returns then he can keep and bat at 4 or 5 thus allowing Robinson to open.
The issue I have with Cox is that his lifetime average of 34.67 is very heavily skewed by that one mammoth innings of 238*. Without that, it drops to 25.28. His average of 27.57 this season is not too out of kilter with that and no hundreds and just four 50s from 23 innings isn't good enough. Cox, as we've seen, is a destructive white ball batsman and might be better utilised batting at 6 in the CC although there will be, should Denly return (as well as Billings) competition for that position from DBD and the up and coming Muyeye.
There are two or three players who will be out of contract at the end of the season and it will be interesting to see whether theirs are renewed, The Club, with the addition of two overseas players, should have one of the strongest squad in a long time across all codes.
Alec Stewart combined opening and keeping for Surrey successfully but not ideal I agree.
Can our last 5 wickets cobble together 98 runs that is the question? Other teams seem a lot more effective than we are in blasting away the tail although Stevens and Stewart are hardly conventional tail enders it should be said.
I hope we can do it and finish the season on a high to go with the T 20 triumph.
Interesting debate whether you can keep and open the batting in the long form game.
Also Interesting that they have multiple options with the gloves. If Robinson did open and bat for two days perhaps one of the others could take the gloves for a session to give him a break ? Wasn’t Cox an England u19 keeper ?
Cox was U19 keeper but so was Robinson and he is the better keeper especially in the CC where the red ball does more and where concentration for long periods is the key. As I said, when Billings comes back from England duty/IPL and takes over as keeper that will free Robinson up to open. Cox is more than capable of doing it in T20 and the Royal London (providing it doesn't clash with The Hundred of course as it did this year) and is at the moment proven as a better white ball batsman. The irony is that Cox's strike rate in the CC this season is 46.02 whereas Robinson's is 58.42.
That said, pundits on Sky were touting Robinson for England as someone who should have been considered when Bracey took the gloves and I believe that he would be reluctant to totally lose that discipline for that reason. Bracey keeps, bats at 3 and captains Gloucs and was in after 5 balls this week - so he is doing three jobs and will, on occasions, effectively open. The irony and complication, of course, is that Billings is standing in his way at both club and country level so far as keeping is concerned.
The partner to Crawley is an issue for us. Even if Denly carries on playing, he clearly doesn't want to do it. DBD's technique against the new red ball isn't good enough and Cox appears to struggle similarly - his recent scores in the CC have been (first innings in bold) - 1, 11, 0, 38, 1, 10, 81*, 2 & 1. We don't have anyone else in the squad who is a natural opener or anyone in the 2s/Academy currently knocking on the door either and Robinson did hit a ton doing so earlier in the season.
Another batsman and we would have to leave three batsmen out. The likely candidates might be Muyeye, Cox and Robinson in which case they could end up looking elsewhere for first team opportunities
Murtagh is 40 and the last time he picked up the wicket of Stevens, Murtagh was in his 20s. But, there again, Kent haven't played Middx in the CC was a decade ago!
Murtagh is 40 and the last time he picked up the wicket of Stevens, Murtagh was in his 20s. But, there again, Kent haven't played Middx in the CC was a decade ago!
Murtagh should have had God there but second slip had a bad case of dropsy ... and then had a big lbw shout turned down next ball.
Another batsman and we would have to leave three batsmen out. The likely candidates might be Muyeye, Cox and Robinson in which case they could end up looking elsewhere for first team opportunities
Crawley might be back in the England fold next summer
Billings will be absent for long periods, whether in the England white ball team, or at franchise cricket?
Ultimately, if we have lots of good middle order batsmen, then they will have to fight for a position in the side, rather than do a job which they aren't suitable for at the top of the order
Another batsman and we would have to leave three batsmen out. The likely candidates might be Muyeye, Cox and Robinson in which case they could end up looking elsewhere for first team opportunities
Crawley might be back in the England fold next summer
Billings will be absent for long periods, whether in the England white ball team, or at franchise cricket?
Ultimately, if we have lots of good middle order batsmen, then they will have to fight for a position in the side, rather than do a job which they aren't suitable for at the top of the order
That's fine as long as the finances will allow it. And finding an overseas batsman of any quality who will be available for the whole season isn't going to be easy and we might prefer to use those funds for the Blast. We only had Cummins for eight matches in the CC and never replaced him. Also not convinced that Crawley will be back with England especially as he hasn't done anything to justify that to date.
Comments
Can our last 5 wickets cobble together 98 runs that is the question? Other teams seem a lot more effective than we are in blasting away the tail although Stevens and Stewart are hardly conventional tail enders it should be said.
I hope we can do it and finish the season on a high to go with the T 20 triumph.
That said, pundits on Sky were touting Robinson for England as someone who should have been considered when Bracey took the gloves and I believe that he would be reluctant to totally lose that discipline for that reason. Bracey keeps, bats at 3 and captains Gloucs and was in after 5 balls this week - so he is doing three jobs and will, on occasions, effectively open. The irony and complication, of course, is that Billings is standing in his way at both club and country level so far as keeping is concerned.
The partner to Crawley is an issue for us. Even if Denly carries on playing, he clearly doesn't want to do it. DBD's technique against the new red ball isn't good enough and Cox appears to struggle similarly - his recent scores in the CC have been (first innings in bold) - 1, 11, 0, 38, 1, 10, 81*, 2 & 1. We don't have anyone else in the squad who is a natural opener or anyone in the 2s/Academy currently knocking on the door either and Robinson did hit a ton doing so earlier in the season.
295-6
78 runs to win
Crawley
Cox
Denly
Billings
Leaning
DBD
Robinson
Muyeye
Another batsman and we would have to leave three batsmen out. The likely candidates might be Muyeye, Cox and Robinson in which case they could end up looking elsewhere for first team opportunities
69 to win
Stevens 10*
O'Riordan 6*
Never mind. What a shame.
309-6 Stevo 14* O'Riordan 7*
64 to win
Billings will be absent for long periods, whether in the England white ball team, or at franchise cricket?
Ultimately, if we have lots of good middle order batsmen, then they will have to fight for a position in the side, rather than do a job which they aren't suitable for at the top of the order
310-7 Stevo gone for 14
O'Riordan 8 (25)
310-7
63 to win
48 to win
38 to win
Stewart doing a Stevens 20 off 14
24 to win
O'Riordan 25*
Stewart 21*
358-8
15 to win
O'Riordan guides a delivery to slip for 26.
Kent 358-8