It’s over! I’m sure the dissection of the season will continue but a thank you to you all for your company this season. As someone who lives away from Kent it’s great to be able to talk about the cricket, even if the stuff being played is awful to watch!
One thing I would say about playing the youngsters is that the experience will be invaluable. You simply cannot replicate this in 2nd XI cricket so, if we didn't play them in these final few games then we would be throwing them in next season without knowing what to expect.
Equally, the reason we've been playing the likes of Quinn, Garrett, Rizvi and Cohen is because big decisions have to be made about their future which is why Gilchrist has been released to play elsewhere.
We are also making massive assumptions that Billings, Klaassen and Crawley have any interest in playing red ball in September. What do they have to prove and how would that help us for next season? Not one of those has had any consistent form for us in recent seasons.
It's all reputational and in the case of Crawley, if he really wanted to play for us, he would have done so. Last season Crawley scored 322 runs in 10 innings at an average of 32.20 of which 238 came in a drawn match on a Somerset road where they got 554. So, he scored 96 runs in his other 9 innings. This season he averages 31.28 whereas Dawkins averages 34.40. Apart from the fact that he's England's opener, there is no evidence whatsoever from the last two seasons that Crawley would have done any better because, in English type conditions, his technique does not stand up to scrutiny.
As for "weak management", I think this is the complete opposite of that. We simply cannot have it both ways i.e. why are we continuing to play those that have consistently failed in the last few seasons but then, in the next breath question why we aren't playing the youngsters when the remaining fixtures are dead rubbers. Playing Leaning, who has done nothing this season, would have been the very easy and weak option.
I really do firmly believe that Hollioake has used these last few games with a view to making us stronger next season and to demonstrate to the promising youngsters we have that there is a pathway to the first team for them but that at the start of next season they will probably have to bide their time.
Injuries and other absences have ruined Kent’s season, but I feel it could have been handled better. Why has Leaning been set aside for recent games? Could Billings and Klaassen not be persuaded to play some red ball games on short term deals? Could Kent have tried harder to wrest Crawley away from England when he simply has not been playing? Why release Gilchrist to Warwickshire early when neither Northeast nor Milnes have been released to us? It smacks of weak management and lack of foresight. I’m all for giving the five youngsters their chances but none of them have added anything to the bowling attack, and only two or three have made positive contributions with the bat.
What would be the advantage of playing leaning? He’s been absolutely woeful when given a chance in red ball. No point wasting money on billings or klassen when we knew we weren’t going anywhere after 4 games. There was absolutely no point in doing any of the above as the season had already ended before it even started
For perspective, these are the averages of our batters this season, from which we can see that only a couple can be said to have done infinitely better than the youngsters that were given opportunities recently:
I don't agree with the Gilchrist decision though. None of our young seam bowlers are anywhere near ready for first team action, and we've been left pathetically short in both the 50 over and the county championship.
I don't agree with the Gilchrist decision though. None of our young seam bowlers are anywhere near ready for first team action, and we've been left pathetically short in both the 50 over and the county championship.
Just to point out that in the 50 over comp, on loan at Middlesex, Gilchrist took 2-207 with an E/R of 6.46. That is worse than virtually every single one of the dozen or so bowlers we used in the competition in terms of combined wickets taken and E/R. Those last few games in the CC were about looking at those bowlers out of contract.
That is one of the worst chokes I've ever seen. Look at the run rate. Look at that second wicket partnership. They've put the noose around their neck and handed Yorkshire the lever
Can't believe Durham have choked that badly. And I thought Sussex nearly not chasing 61 yesterday was going to be the biggest shambles of this round of games.
It has been a bitterly disappointing season by Kent. It was not just the defeats but the manner of the constant losses. Some sort of revamp of the side is required but there’s no money so Kent will have to be creative / lucky in terms of recruitment.
Trying to sell membership, sponsorship, hospitality must be a nightmare with the team performing so poor.
There have been injuries but Kent have not helped themselves this season with loan signings and overseas recruits not making an impact. Kent need to get these decisions right.
I am more positive about next season with some younger promising players and Adam Hollioake is at least saying the right things and hopefully he will be more central in trying to reverse the club’s fortunes.
Comments
Equally, the reason we've been playing the likes of Quinn, Garrett, Rizvi and Cohen is because big decisions have to be made about their future which is why Gilchrist has been released to play elsewhere.
We are also making massive assumptions that Billings, Klaassen and Crawley have any interest in playing red ball in September. What do they have to prove and how would that help us for next season? Not one of those has had any consistent form for us in recent seasons.
It's all reputational and in the case of Crawley, if he really wanted to play for us, he would have done so. Last season Crawley scored 322 runs in 10 innings at an average of 32.20 of which 238 came in a drawn match on a Somerset road where they got 554. So, he scored 96 runs in his other 9 innings. This season he averages 31.28 whereas Dawkins averages 34.40. Apart from the fact that he's England's opener, there is no evidence whatsoever from the last two seasons that Crawley would have done any better because, in English type conditions, his technique does not stand up to scrutiny.
As for "weak management", I think this is the complete opposite of that. We simply cannot have it both ways i.e. why are we continuing to play those that have consistently failed in the last few seasons but then, in the next breath question why we aren't playing the youngsters when the remaining fixtures are dead rubbers. Playing Leaning, who has done nothing this season, would have been the very easy and weak option.
I really do firmly believe that Hollioake has used these last few games with a view to making us stronger next season and to demonstrate to the promising youngsters we have that there is a pathway to the first team for them but that at the start of next season they will probably have to bide their time.
What would be the advantage of playing leaning? He’s been absolutely woeful when given a chance in red ball. No point wasting money on billings or klassen when we knew we weren’t going anywhere after 4 games. There was absolutely no point in doing any of the above as the season had already ended before it even started
Compton - 60.26
Benjamin - 41.22
Muyeye - 36.88
Dawkins - 34.40
DBD - 33.50
Evison - 31.93
Crawley - 31.28
Ekansh - 28.44
Jaydn - 26.53
Finch - 25.66
Joe - 23.66
Leaning - 15.33
Hopefully Ollie Robinson will have a relegation clause in his contract, enabling him to rejoin Kent