Kent CCC 2023

killerandflash said:

https://www.kentcricket.co.uk/news/george-garrett-joins-kent-on-two-year-deal/

George Garrett signs. Underwhelming stats it has to be said. Was he the players spotted down at Canterbury last week?

billysboots said:

Addick Addict said:

Redhenry said:

Addick Addict said:

killerandflash said:

Addick Addict said:

Someone who went to tonight's end of season dinner has said that Billings has announced that he is relinquishing the captaincy but intends to play white ball at least. Which, in reality, means that he will be available for the Blast and if selected and has no other commitments will also turn out in the CC. 

If England hadn't called him up to the Test side down under, I can imagine Billings just concentrating on white ball 2 seasons ago.

It didn't seem right having a county captain missing chunks of the season to play the IPL, but if he's just (mainly) a white ball player I have no problems with that.

The only issue I have with it is that he has two years left of a three-year contract based on him being captain and playing in both red and white ball for which is only actual contribution might end up being a maximum of 14 T20 games in each. I can't see us being able to re-negotiate a salary that will probably be the highest in the Club and that in turn limits our financial ability to secure a suitable replacement. 

How do u know he is on the same contract? I doubt he is.

Because he signed an extension to his existing contract last July to the end of 2025. I'm really not sure that an employer can vary the terms of someone's contract because they have fallen out of form or favour because, effectively, you could say to someone like Logan that, as you haven't played for two years, we aren't paying you. 

https://www.kentcricket.co.uk/news/billings-signs-long-term-kent-contract-extension/#:~:text=Kent Cricket is delighted to,end of the 2025 season.

If Billings is available for the red ball matches and they don't pick him then they should pay him. If it is his choice (rather than the clubs ) to only play white ball i expect that there would have been some mutually agreed variation to his contract. I would be amazed if in these days of multiple competitions worldwide Kent have offered him a contract with no options or no way of recouping his salary from a third party franchise if he plays elsewhere. 

DubaiCAFC said:

Addick Addict said:

DubaiCAFC said:

Kent should try and sign Kai Smith... They was offered him, but at that point, they had Cox, Billings and Robinson.. He went to Warwickshire, but I am sure if Kent offered him something he would sign.. He attends King School, family live in Kent, he is only 19 but a big future in front of him.

Has he left Warwickshire because he played in half a dozen of their 50 over games? He kept just the once for them though and had scores of 19*, DNB, 12, 4*, DNB and 16. He also played two Warwickshire 2s games with scores of 27 and 54 but only turned out twice for his club, Sandwich - back in May with with scores of 24 and 20. Perhaps it was his school games, A Levels or injury that restricted his games on Cricket Archive I don't know. 

As I say, I would be surprised if he isn't still attached to Warwickshire given his exposure in the Metro Cup. Buttleman, although certainly not statistically pulling up any trees, is considered by some members at Essex at being unlucky. I haven't seen him play much but have seen Kai Smith at fist hand and also Daniel O'Drisoll, recently released by Middlesex at first hand and wouldn't say that there is much between those two. 

Kai hasn't left them no, they rate him highly, and was a bit unlucky this year in the One Day cup with Warwickshire having more players available.

He has played a few more games for Warwickshire 2s, I believe he has 2 or 3 scores to his name. He left Sandwich at the start of the season, as they wanted him to play further up the line. He was playing for Harborne Cricket Club, and looks like he did okay.

He is still young, and will only get better, I think he would be worth a punt, but having said that not sure Warwickshire are wiling to let him go yet.

Interview with Matt Walker about the comings and goings. I have bolded the bits to me that seemed the most interesting.

The 2023 domestic cricket season has been consigned to the record books and for Kent and coach Matt Walker it was a season of struggles with both the red and white ball.

It was also the season that saw the end of an era at Canterbury with the departure of Paul Downton, the end of the Sam Billings era of being Club Captain along with the comings and goings of the playing staff. 

We have sat down with Walker for his fullest and frankest interviews since Kent’s Great Escape on the Final Day of the Championship season, today our conversation ends with a look ahead to 2024 and some exciting signings that have already been announced. 

Top of the list of incomings at Canterbury at the moment undoubtedly is the arrival of Matt Parkinson from Lancashire.

“When we were looking at our recruitment process and strategy for 2024, I do not think that we had a spin bowler at the top of the list.”

“His name came up and it seemed quite clear that he had his eye on coming to Kent for what I think could be a couple of reasons.”

“He has always bowled well here and has been a real thorn in our side over several years and just wanted to get away from Lancashire.”

“Really it was a no brainer on our behalf once the early discussions had taken place – the desire and the plan that he saw for the next few years of his career – and to have a cricketer of his level want to come to us is a huge coup!”

“He’s still an international cricketer and he wants to play for Kent – he’s already had a taste of things in the Metro Cup and seems to have fallen in love with the place.”

“He will make a huge impact across all formats of the game giving us a big boost – his numbers are exceptional.”

“We are thrilled about it and gives us a wicket taking threat for a side that struggled to get twenty wickets in a game last year!” 

“George Garrett comes to us from Warwickshire – he’s a young bowler who has struggled to get into their attack because of the quality that they have.”

“We have been very impressed with him – a young bowler who is very assured of himself, who has an action that is very repeatable and very consistent, and we see him fitting into our group.”

“He’s a signing that we like to make – young cricketers who are a little bit lost and cannot seem to progress at the County that they are in and hopefully he will take up the reigns with us and we can improve him, giving him the opportunity as he fits into our bowling squad.” 

Walker then confirmed that Wes Agar will be returning to Canterbury.

“Wes has signed,” he said. “It was done very early and was another no-brainer; he loved his time with us, and we loved having him – he was the perfect overseas player really; a really good man, real professional who cares deeply.”

“His work rate and his effort and what he did on the field for us was… you really could not ask for anymore – definitely the sort of bloke that you want around.”

“People feed off that energy and that desire and passion – when it was proposed to him about coming back in 2024, he did not hesitate.”

“That is locked in which is great news as attracting overseas players next year is going to be even tougher because of the T20 World Cup in the USA and Canada.”

“It will not be easy to have players here even for a short period of time, but Wes is available, and Wes is signed up!” 

Whilst the incomings are welcome there are also those who will not be in Kent colours in 2024, and of those we spoke first about Jordan Cox. 

“It was a little while ago now that Jordan’s decision was made,” the coach recalled.

“People leave clubs for whatever reason and sometimes you understand them and sometimes maybe not so much and you respect it – you must.”

“I have always said to myself that if a player wants to leave, you will try and stop them and do your best to convince them not to, but if that does not work, you shake them by the hand and wish them well.”

“And that is exactly what happened with Coxy – I would like to think that we tried everything we could to keep him at the Club.”

“We recognised his talent very early and gave him every opportunity he could have imagined. And as a Kent player who has gone through our system it is a slighter hard pill to swallow at such a young age.”

“He will have his reasons – there’s probably a number of things and we wish him the very best and I think that we will miss a very good player who has done some very good things for us!” 

“That’s the modern game and players do want to move for a number of reasons, and I guess that we have to take it on the chin!” 

Another player not returning after announcing his retirement is Michael Hogan, and Walker said, “Hoge’s stay was a short one for us and it was great to have him around this year.”

“It was only going to be a short-term thing – he did well for us. Certainly, in the T20 he really shone; he would have liked more wickets in the Championship and certainly his “five-fer” against Notts was a real highlight from where he’s really at as a senior bowler!”

“For him to retire now was probably right for him at this time in his head – I think he’s been a credit to the Club; the boys have loved having him around as a senior player and will be a particularly good coach one day, I am sure of that.”

“It has been great working with him and for what he offered this year was great!”