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Originally posted by GrahamB
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They seem to have a good side this year. They should make players who played for University Sides available for contracts in the end of season contracts. -
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KENT v SUSSEX (County Championship D2 2014)
Our bid for victory was unfortunately thwarted by the weather, so another draw resulted.
Batting first, we weren't looking in the best shape after Naylor (52) fell to leave us at 115/4.
Then Egan (151) and Blake (131) rewrote the record books with a fifth wicket partnership of 255.
Sadly, after Blake's dismissal, our innings collapsed in dramatic fashion and we were all out for 405.
Mark Davies was the destroyer, taking 5/79, again showing that we were unwise not to agree to his initial terms at the time he was with us.
In reply, Sussex were going along nicely at 175/2 until Joyce (92) was trapped in front by Murtagh.
Wickets fell regularly from that point and the visitors were all out for 273, a deficit of 131 runs.
Only Yardy (61) provided resistance as Onions (3/36), Tredwell (2/16) and Matthew (3/82) all reaped the rewards of accurate bowling.
Sussex have a quality bowling attack though and they bowled very tightly to keep our scoring rate under control as we sought to put ourselves in a position to declare.
Key (60), Naylor (37), Cole (43no) and Procter (33) all played their part in getting us through to 184/3 and then the rain arrived.
We were forced to declare early, leaving us just over two sessions to bowl our opponents out.
However, Joyce (46), Yardy (50no) and Hodd (30) held us out long enough to secure their side a draw, as they finished at 181/5.
Murtagh (2/46) was the most threatening of our bowlers, although they all bowled well.
Wins, wins, must have wins!
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Off to Worcestershire for our next County Championship match.
With conditions definitely expected to favour pace, we've left out Tredwell and brought in Eric Beckett.
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WORCESTERSHIRE v KENT (County Championship D2 214)
Key and Naylor got us off to a good start before Naylor fell for 44 with the score at 99/1.
Key went on to score his second century of the season as he held the top order together, with Cole (28) and Egan (17) falling cheaply at the other end.
When Key holed out for 107 and Blake popped a catch back to the bowler soon after, we were 244/5 and the innings hung in the balance.
However, Procter (75) and Ben Brown (61) put on 97 for the sixth wicket and then Matthew (35no) and Onions (32)shared a last wicket stand of 57 as we got through to 443 all out.
Shantry (3/101) was the pick of the Worcestershire bowlers.
Onions (4/48), Murtagh (3/19) and Beckett (3/23) then routed the home side for a measly 140 all out.
It could have been worse, but at 77/7, the tail wagged a little.
We decided to enforce the follow on, and in hindsight this was possibly the wrong thing to do.
This time round, the Worcestershire batsmen showed great determination as they dug in to save the game in front of their nervous home fans.
Guptill (57), Ali (39), Dicks (77), Kervezee (99), Manuel (32), Cameron (31) and Russell (37no) saw their side through to 454/8 declared.
Eric Beckett was the most successful of our bowlers with 3/116.
Key and Naylor could do nothing more than bat the final 45 minutes as the game petered out to a draw.
Grrr! Four draws in a row!
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Mervin Matthew has been out of form so far this season, so we've left him out of the playing eleven for our next County Championship match against visiting Leicestershire.
Onions has also been spelled as both Naqaash Tahir and James Tredwell come into the side.
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KENT v LEICESTERSHIRE (County Championship D2 2014)
After winning the toss, Leicestershire chose to bat.
At 140/3, the honours were even. However we were made to pay big time for dropping opening batsman Greg Smith earlier on.
Smith (227) combined with Hume (177) to add a massive 35p runs for the fourth wicket. It was Smith's highest first class score and Hume's maiden first class century.
Jones (49no) and Jefferson were the others to contribute as the visitors piled on 606/6 before declaring.
Of course, we'd be batting to save the match now.
Young pace bowler, Allan Collins has been on fire this season, and he again impressed here, taking the first two wickets to fall.
At 96/3, we were in a spot of bother, but nightwatchman Eric Beckett came to the rescue with his second first class century.
With Egan (65), Blake (38), Brown (40), Tredwell (53) and Murtagh (34no) al playing their part too, we avoided the follow on as we managed to get to 467 all out.
Collins starred with the ball for Leicestershire, taking 5/90 and always looking likely.
The visitors batted through to 106/4, before declaring for the second time in the match.
Tahir made up for his 1/135 in the first innings to grab 3/52 this time round.
The chase for 246 in limited time was beyond us, and we had to settle for yet another draw, finishing at 116/1.
Naylor took the opportunity to notch up an unbeaten half century.
We can't afford to lose touch with the leaders. Draws are killing us. Perhaps we need to prepare bowler friendly wickets instead of batting paradises.
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Off to Derbyshire now for our opening match in the Challenge Trophy.
Here are the sides.
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On the plus side, these draws do mean you've remained undefeated in the competiton!
Nottinghamshire supporter and proud!Comment
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True!Originally posted by DaveK93 View PostOn the plus side, these draws do mean you've remained undefeated in the competiton!
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DERBYSHIRE v KENT (Challenge Trophy 2014)
This game was a close run thing.
Derbyshire came out swinging from the start.
Borrington (45), Cox (61) and Hughes (36) provided the bulk of the runs, and it was only a collapse from 184/5 onwards that saw us restrict them to 199/9.
Tredwell (3/42) was our best bowler, but Matthew also impressed with a tight spell of 1/30.
We struggled to keep up with the required rate and that, coupled with the regular loss of wickets saw us in real trouble at 84/5.
Blake (42) helped steady the ship and then Brown (54no) and Tredwell (41no) powered us home as they scored at over 7 runs per over in the last ten overs.
Too close for comfort, but a win's a win.
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Still on the road for another Challenge Trophy match, this time at Northamptonshire.
I selected the team thinking that it was a four day match, so fingers crossed!
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NORTHAMPTONSHIRE v KENT (Challenge Trophy 2014)
We won the toss and decided to bat first, hoping to take advantage of the turning conditions likely to eventuate later.
As I wasn't totally confident that our bowling attack could defend anything less than 220+, we went onto the offensive from the start.
Key (67) and Cole (54) set up a nice platform after Naylor had fallen cheaply. Then Procter (32) and the lower order helped get us through to 237/7.
Our two pace spearheads, Matthew and Murtagh, struggled to look threatening and so as soon as the fielding restrictions were gone, we brought on the spinners.
Any fears that I'd had about young Adam Riley quickly disappeared as he claimed a wicket in his first over. In fact, it was Riley who got us back on track as he dismissed the next two batsmen as well to have the home side at 101/4.
Tredwell was proving a useful foil at the other end, prompting me to risk bringing Egan on at a time when Procter was being dealt to by the batsmen. And what a master stroke that proved to be, as he also sent three batsmen on their way to close out the match!
Egan (3/26 off 5.1 overs), Riley (3/39 off 8) and Tredwell (2/36 off 8) had done the trick for us.
So two from two in the Challenge Trophy so far!
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News
Our first choice keeper, Ben Brown, has picked up an injury and will be out of action for three weeks.
Tim Ambrose gets a chance now to show that he's been hard done by.Comment
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Our travels continue with a County Championship match away to Glamorgan.
With the pitch there expected to favour spin, we've gone in with both Tredwell and Riley again.
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