It's cold, it's a school night for the younger kids and it's the middle of the exam period for the 16-18 age group. Wait 'til we get to the middle of July then you'll see a difference......oh no sorry that's when that other "comp" is being put on for the benefit of the ECB.
Typical that after several weeks of really nice weather, the temperatures drop when we have an evening T20 match
It's cold, it's a school night for the younger kids and it's the middle of the exam period for the 16-18 age group. Wait 'til we get to the middle of July then you'll see a difference......oh no sorry that's when that other "comp" is being put on for the benefit of the ECB.
Adults can go to the cricket on there own, but I get your point.
It's cold, it's a school night for the younger kids and it's the middle of the exam period for the 16-18 age group. Wait 'til we get to the middle of July then you'll see a difference......oh no sorry that's when that other "comp" is being put on for the benefit of the ECB.
Typical that after several weeks of really nice weather, the temperatures drop when we have an evening T20 match
Are you forgetting the 4th day washout of Kent v Surrey.
It's cold, it's a school night for the younger kids and it's the middle of the exam period for the 16-18 age group. Wait 'til we get to the middle of July then you'll see a difference......oh no sorry that's when that other "comp" is being put on for the benefit of the ECB.
Typical that after several weeks of really nice weather, the temperatures drop when we have an evening T20 match
Are you forgetting the 4th day washout of Kent v Surrey.
I'm afraid we lost this game at the toss. The pitch was definitely livelier early on and once it settled down and the dew took affect we were always struggling - the ball was coming on nicely for the bat, the bowlers struggled to grip the ball and the fielders acted, at times, as if they were skating on ice.
I'm afraid we lost this game at the toss. The pitch was definitely livelier early on and once it settled down and the dew took affect we were always struggling - the ball was coming on nicely for the bat, the bowlers struggled to grip the ball and the fielders acted, at times, as if they were skating on ice.
I'm afraid we lost this game at the toss. The pitch was definitely livelier early on and once it settled down and the dew took affect we were always struggling - the ball was coming on nicely for the bat, the bowlers struggled to grip the ball and the fielders acted, at times, as if they were skating on ice.
How did we make the wrong selection, at home?
I'm afraid that Billings has been listening a bit too much to Eoin Morgan's "this is the tried and tested way we do things" rather than looking at the pitch itself and taking into account the effect of dew given the conditions today.
Billings has hardly played any cricket at the IPL and Crawley isnt pulling up trees , but they leave out Blake who appears to be in the form of his life at the moment ?
To me I would have left out Crawley who is off next week and tried to get a settled side.
Billings has hardly played any cricket at the IPL and Crawley isnt pulling up trees , but they leave out Blake who appears to be in the form of his life at the moment ?
To me I would have left out Crawley who is off next week and tried to get a settled side.
That is the centrally contracted and England's Director of Cricket favoured one - having trained in the morning with England, Crawley said he wanted to play and had Kent said that he wasn't going to be selected then there would have been repercussions for the County.
Billings is Billings and as I've said I do believe that he is over rated as a batsman (not as a keeper or captain I should add notwithstanding his poor decision to bat last might). It is a long time since he demonstrated any consistency of form - in the last calendar year in all forms of the game, for Kent, England, the Oval Invincibles, Kolkata Knight Riders and Sydney Thunder he has managed just four 50s and no hundreds.
Of even more concern is the form of Denly in the last year or so. Yesterday he took 16 balls to score 5 runs in a T20 game that we lost with 5 balls to spare. This isn't a one off as, in all comps in the first team and since he scored 63 in the County Championship almost a year ago now, he has batted 26 times and scored a total of 430 runs at an average of 17.20 - without a single 50 to his name. He will be one of the highest paid cricketers on the books but simply isn't delivering - he's only actually batted 20 times for Kent in the last year and that does make him a bit of an expensive luxury.
Now it might just be that Crawley, Billings and Denly need a run of games and innings to find form rather than sitting on the side lines as the latter named two have done for long periods of time. But when we are leaving an in form Blake out and sending out on loan Robinson, it does rather reinforce the notion that all players are equal but some are more equal than others regardless of form. Here's hoping they do turn things around because, let's face it, The Blast is the only competition we have any chance of winning this season and we are still only in May.
Ben Compton has been named in a 12 man squad of non Blast players to play in a 4 day warm up game against NZ starting on Thursday
County Select XI squad: Jack Blatherwick (Lancashire), Michael Burgess (Warwickshire), Ben Compton (Kent), Ben Gibbon (Worcestershire), Nick Gubbins (Hampshire), Tom Haines (Sussex), Lyndon James (Nottinghamshire), Ryan Patel (Surrey), Liam Patterson-White (Nottinghamshire), Jamie Porter (Essex), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Dom Sibley (Warwickshire).
Maybe Ollie Robinson needs the game time but how sensible is it to give NZ a good look at one of our more potent wicket takers?
Ben Compton has been named in a 12 man squad of non Blast players to play in a 4 day warm up game against NZ starting on Thursday
County Select XI squad: Jack Blatherwick (Lancashire), Michael Burgess (Warwickshire), Ben Compton (Kent), Ben Gibbon (Worcestershire), Nick Gubbins (Hampshire), Tom Haines (Sussex), Lyndon James (Nottinghamshire), Ryan Patel (Surrey), Liam Patterson-White (Nottinghamshire), Jamie Porter (Essex), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Dom Sibley (Warwickshire).
Maybe Ollie Robinson needs the game time but how sensible is it to give NZ a good look at one of our more potent wicket takers?
I think he needs the game but also he has to prove to the new coach that he is mentally and physically up to it. McCullum is not one to mince his words and is used to playing with some of the best fast bowlers in the world who will run through brick walls come what may.
I do wonder with Crawley (and Pope who played a T20 warm up game for Surrey vs a Sri lanka dev X1 last night) whether playing in the first couple of T20 games before joining England is actually the right thing to do.
They both need to step up in that test sides top 3 and have been playing champ cricket for the last couple of months. Is changing bats, stance, approach, mindset to suit T20 for a couple of weeks before suddenly having to switch back and be expected to deliver in the top 3 for England really the best preparation. I feel they might have been better off working with coaches on their game ahead of the test series (as much as I want Pope in that Surrey side).
Of course this wouldnt be a problem if the schedule was done properly and we played champ cricket in the lead up to and during test series.
I do wonder with Crawley (and Pope who played a T20 warm up game for Surrey vs a Sri lanka dev X1 last night) whether playing in the first couple of T20 games before joining England is actually the right thing to do.
They both need to step up in that test sides top 3 and have been playing champ cricket for the last couple of months. Is changing bats, stance, approach, mindset to suit T20 for a couple of weeks before suddenly having to switch back and be expected to deliver in the top 3 for England really the best preparation. I feel they might have been better off working with coaches on their game ahead of the test series (as much as I want Pope in that Surrey side).
Of course this wouldnt be a problem if the schedule was done properly and we played champ cricket in the lead up to and during test series.
Yes the timetable is a bit curious. I notice Root and Brook were playing for Yorkshire yesterday, and will also play on Friday and Sunday, giving players just 3 days to readapt back to red ball cricket
Ben Compton has been named in a 12 man squad of non Blast players to play in a 4 day warm up game against NZ starting on Thursday
County Select XI squad: Jack Blatherwick (Lancashire), Michael Burgess (Warwickshire), Ben Compton (Kent), Ben Gibbon (Worcestershire), Nick Gubbins (Hampshire), Tom Haines (Sussex), Lyndon James (Nottinghamshire), Ryan Patel (Surrey), Liam Patterson-White (Nottinghamshire), Jamie Porter (Essex), Ollie Robinson (Sussex), Dom Sibley (Warwickshire).
Maybe Ollie Robinson needs the game time but how sensible is it to give NZ a good look at one of our more potent wicket takers?
I do wonder with Crawley (and Pope who played a T20 warm up game for Surrey vs a Sri lanka dev X1 last night) whether playing in the first couple of T20 games before joining England is actually the right thing to do.
They both need to step up in that test sides top 3 and have been playing champ cricket for the last couple of months. Is changing bats, stance, approach, mindset to suit T20 for a couple of weeks before suddenly having to switch back and be expected to deliver in the top 3 for England really the best preparation. I feel they might have been better off working with coaches on their game ahead of the test series (as much as I want Pope in that Surrey side).
Of course this wouldnt be a problem if the schedule was done properly and we played champ cricket in the lead up to and during test series.
This is true and the aspect that I, frankly, found amazing is that Butcher said last night that he is still having to work with England on the thing that I have consistently raised as his issue in playing red ball and why he has been getting out cheaply in the CC i.e. his bat comes down from outside off and works the ball through mid wicket when he should be playing in the "V". At Crawley's age and playing at the level that he is, the latter should be ingrained for a red ball opener but it seems that the former is his default position because that is what has given him success at school and through the county age group system. So, he ends up practising one thing in the morning with England in order to create "muscle memory" but in the afternoon whilst playing one or two down the ground, is forced to revert to type because you have to be able to open up mid wicket to straight balls in T20 cricket.
I see Sam Smith (currently playing for Tunbridge Wells but started off at Bickley Park and then moved to Bromley) has been playing for Surrey 2s. Smith will be 22 in August and came through the Kent age group system, was in their Academy for a number of years and despite playing a number of 2s games for them last season, didn't do enough to earn himself a contract - in fact he had a poor season for both Kent and Bromley in the KPL where he barely averaged 20.
Now I know that Surrey have a lot more money than us but not only does he actually have, unlike all the triallists that play for Kent, has his name on the back of his shirt but, more significantly, he is captaining the side as well as keeping (he is a very good keeper). He's just got out against Hants for an excellent 71 off 29 balls!
I see Sam Smith (currently playing for Tunbridge Wells but started off at Bickley Park and then moved to Bromley) has been playing for Surrey 2s. Smith will be 22 in August and came through the Kent age group system, was in their Academy for a number of years and despite playing a number of 2s games for them last season, didn't do enough to earn himself a contract - in fact he had a poor season for both Kent and Bromley in the KPL where he barely averaged 20.
Now I know that Surrey have a lot more money than us but not only does he actually have, unlike all the triallists that play for Kent, has his name on the back of his shirt but, more significantly, he is captaining the side as well as keeping (he is a very good keeper). He's just got out against Hants for an excellent 71 off 29 balls!
Not exactly sure. I know hes been in the 2's recently. It could however be a mistake. A recent 4 day game against the Sri Lanka dev X1 Sam Smith was named on the team sheet (and surrey website and twitter the day before) but it was actually Jamie Smith who played and kept and captained. Not sure if that has happened again. Would be embarrassing if so.
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Lets see whether everyone else was rubbish or it's really tough out there
Nevertheless, not a good start!
Let's hope we improve on this performance and push onwards and upwards.
Billings is Billings and as I've said I do believe that he is over rated as a batsman (not as a keeper or captain I should add notwithstanding his poor decision to bat last might). It is a long time since he demonstrated any consistency of form - in the last calendar year in all forms of the game, for Kent, England, the Oval Invincibles, Kolkata Knight Riders and Sydney Thunder he has managed just four 50s and no hundreds.
Of even more concern is the form of Denly in the last year or so. Yesterday he took 16 balls to score 5 runs in a T20 game that we lost with 5 balls to spare. This isn't a one off as, in all comps in the first team and since he scored 63 in the County Championship almost a year ago now, he has batted 26 times and scored a total of 430 runs at an average of 17.20 - without a single 50 to his name. He will be one of the highest paid cricketers on the books but simply isn't delivering - he's only actually batted 20 times for Kent in the last year and that does make him a bit of an expensive luxury.
Now it might just be that Crawley, Billings and Denly need a run of games and innings to find form rather than sitting on the side lines as the latter named two have done for long periods of time. But when we are leaving an in form Blake out and sending out on loan Robinson, it does rather reinforce the notion that all players are equal but some are more equal than others regardless of form. Here's hoping they do turn things around because, let's face it, The Blast is the only competition we have any chance of winning this season and we are still only in May.
They both need to step up in that test sides top 3 and have been playing champ cricket for the last couple of months. Is changing bats, stance, approach, mindset to suit T20 for a couple of weeks before suddenly having to switch back and be expected to deliver in the top 3 for England really the best preparation. I feel they might have been better off working with coaches on their game ahead of the test series (as much as I want Pope in that Surrey side).
Of course this wouldnt be a problem if the schedule was done properly and we played champ cricket in the lead up to and during test series.
Now I know that Surrey have a lot more money than us but not only does he actually have, unlike all the triallists that play for Kent, has his name on the back of his shirt but, more significantly, he is captaining the side as well as keeping (he is a very good keeper). He's just got out against Hants for an excellent 71 off 29 balls!
@cantersaddick Can you shed any light on his position?
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