The commentators were having a discussion about players that have played for lesser known countries. That got me thinking about the best Kent XI made up of players from 11 different countries. This is what I came up with but I'm sure there are others/better ones that I've forgotten up:
Aravinda de Silva (Sri Lanka) Rahul Dravid (India) Asif Iqbal (Pakistan) Carl Hooper (West Indies) Andrew Symmonds (Australia) Gerraint Jones (Papua New Guinea) Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan) Grant Stewart (Italy) Derek Underwood (England) Kagiso Rabada (South Africa) Matt Henry (New Zealand)
Tom Latham New Zealand specialist opening bat but who would replace Matt Henry?
If we were to bring in Latham for Henry in then, as much as I loved Asif Iqbal growing up, I would be tempted to substitute him for Azhar Mahmood. The side would then look like this:
Tom Latham (New Zealand) Aravinda de Silva (Sri Lanka) Rahul Dravid (India) Carl Hooper (West Indies) Andrew Symmonds (Australia) Gerraint Jones (Papua New Guinea) Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan) Azhar Mahmood (Pakistan) Grant Stewart (Italy) Derek Underwood (England) Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)
The commentators were having a discussion about players that have played for lesser known countries. That got me thinking about the best Kent XI made up of players from 11 different countries. This is what I came up with but I'm sure there are others/better ones that I've forgotten up:
Aravinda de Silva (Sri Lanka) Rahul Dravid (India) Asif Iqbal (Pakistan) Carl Hooper (West Indies) Andrew Symmonds (Australia) Gerraint Jones (Papua New Guinea) Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan) Grant Stewart (Italy) Derek Underwood (England) Kagiso Rabada (South Africa) Matt Henry (New Zealand)
Tom Latham New Zealand specialist opening bat but who would replace Matt Henry?
If we were to bring in Latham for Henry in then, as much as I loved Asif Iqbal growing up, I would be tempted to substitute him for Azhar Mahmood. The side would then look like this:
Tom Latham (New Zealand) Aravinda de Silva (Sri Lanka) Rahul Dravid (India) Carl Hooper (West Indies) Andrew Symmonds (Australia) Gerraint Jones (Papua New Guinea) Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan) Azhar Mahmood (Pakistan) Grant Stewart (Italy) Derek Underwood (England) Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)
Strang for Stewart. I loved Azhar Mahmood - serious talent , with both bat and ball
The commentators were having a discussion about players that have played for lesser known countries. That got me thinking about the best Kent XI made up of players from 11 different countries. This is what I came up with but I'm sure there are others/better ones that I've forgotten up:
Aravinda de Silva (Sri Lanka) Rahul Dravid (India) Asif Iqbal (Pakistan) Carl Hooper (West Indies) Andrew Symmonds (Australia) Gerraint Jones (Papua New Guinea) Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan) Grant Stewart (Italy) Derek Underwood (England) Kagiso Rabada (South Africa) Matt Henry (New Zealand)
Tom Latham New Zealand specialist opening bat but who would replace Matt Henry?
If we were to bring in Latham for Henry in then, as much as I loved Asif Iqbal growing up, I would be tempted to substitute him for Azhar Mahmood. The side would then look like this:
Tom Latham (New Zealand) Aravinda de Silva (Sri Lanka) Rahul Dravid (India) Carl Hooper (West Indies) Andrew Symonds (Australia) Gerraint Jones (Papua New Guinea) Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan) Azhar Mahmood (Pakistan) Grant Stewart (Italy) Derek Underwood (England) Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)
Strang for Stewart. I loved Azhar Mahmood - serious talent , with both bat and ball
OK - Strang is in but, with the spin options we have, I hope it's a "bunsen burner" and Symonds is going to have to be the third seamer - albeit Deadly Derek bowled at almost 70mph!
So we now have:
Tom Latham (New Zealand) Aravinda de Silva (Sri Lanka) Rahul Dravid (India) Carl Hooper (West Indies) Andrew Symonds (Australia) Gerraint Jones (Papua New Guinea) Paul Strang (Zimbabwe) Azhar Mahmood (Pakistan) Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan) Derek Underwood (England) Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)
Nathan Gilchcrist is currently playing for Chestfield against Sidcup in the third tier of the Kent League and his figures to date are 6-1-17-2. I suppose he has to get a game somewhere!
Perfect cricket weather here at Beckenham. Spitfires won the toss and chose to bat. Three wickets down already: Denly; Evison and Benjamin all out to really poor shots.
I do realise that I'm probably sounding like Ekansh Singh's agent but I am so pleased that he is starting to show a bit of what I believe he is capable of doing.
His last five innings have been 49 (90) & 27 (24) in the CC against Northants, 33 (68) again in the CC against Leicestershire, 42 (46) against Norfolk and 48 (61) today against Sussex. He has always had a bit about him of leaving people wanting more when seemingly set but, given that he is only just 19, that those innings have meant that he has been involved in some very good partnerships and that there are one or two of our established batters that would be grateful to average virtually 40 in their last five innings.
I do know that Kent are trying to turn him into a batting all rounder with his medium pace but I think that part of his game has a good bit of a way to go before he becomes a genuine threat with the ball. His next job is to start to convert those 40s into big 50s and even 100s. This competition is designed for exactly players of his ilk.
He's done it again! This time 45 (44). It will come sooner rather than later.
In the same way that we are seeing what the likes of Jaydn and Ekansh can do with the bat, I'm amazed in this position where we can't win the game the ball hasn't been thrown to at least one of them.
Comments
Tom Latham (New Zealand)
Aravinda de Silva (Sri Lanka)
Rahul Dravid (India)
Carl Hooper (West Indies)
Andrew Symmonds (Australia)
Gerraint Jones (Papua New Guinea)
Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan)
Azhar Mahmood (Pakistan)
Grant Stewart (Italy)
Derek Underwood (England)
Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)
So we now have:
Tom Latham (New Zealand)
Aravinda de Silva (Sri Lanka)
Rahul Dravid (India)
Carl Hooper (West Indies)
Andrew Symonds (Australia)
Gerraint Jones (Papua New Guinea)
Paul Strang (Zimbabwe)
Azhar Mahmood (Pakistan)
Mohammad Nabi (Afghanistan)
Derek Underwood (England)
Kagiso Rabada (South Africa)
Finch the latest to go - 28 (71)
113-4 (32)
Ekansh 19* (15)
120-5 (33.5)
188-7 (44.2)
189-8 (45.3)
Leaning with 68* (50) giving us some late impetus though one suspects this won't be anywhere near enough. Parkinson 4* (6)
It will be interesting to see how Ollie Robinson, who is captaining as well as keeping for Durham, performs.
38-1 (3.5)
In the same way that we are seeing what the likes of Jaydn and Ekansh can do with the bat, I'm amazed in this position where we can't win the game the ball hasn't been thrown to at least one of them.
Lost by 7 wickets with 10.4 overs to go.