Kent under GrahamB (v12.24)

[GrahamB]

KENT v YORKSHIRE (County Championship D2)

Same old story unfortunately. It's difficult to make use of a turning pitch when you can't create a decent fourth innings target for the opposition.

We got first use of good batting conditions and blew it, with only Naylor showing the dedication needed to build an innings.

In contrast, Gale scored a ton for the visitors and four of their other batsmen went past 50. Our bowling attack really is pitiful!

We put up more fight in our second innings, taking the match into the final day. Key, Naylor and Jones all scored half centuries and Nash fell just one short of his. However, we needed at least one of them to go on to a bigger score and it just didn't happen.
Yorkshire's young all-rounder Rashid proved to be much more of a handful with his spin than our own James Tredwell.



There's only one way to from here I guess!

[GrahamB]

OXFORD UNIVERSITY v KENT (Three Day Match)

We rested Naylor, Nash and Tredwell for this game.
Sam Northeast (opening batsman), Sam Billings (reserve keeper) and Ben Kemp (pace bowler) were given a chance to show us what they could do.
Northeast and Billings have both shown promise at first class level, while Kemp has been in devastating form for the second team.

The match was a no-contest really. Under very cloudy conditions, our pace attack massacred them twice, while it was useful for our batsmen to have to deal with difficult conditions.
Of the four pacemen used, Davies and Cook expectedly stood out, while young Ben Kemp had an edge over Charlie Shreck.
Of the batsmen, Powell was already going to be brought back into the first team, but it was a bonus to see him score a fine century.

[GrahamB]

First Challenge Trophy match next, away to Yorkshire.

[GrahamB]

YORKSHIRE V KENT (Challenge Trophy)

LOL - I didn't realise until halfway through my innings that this was a 40 overs competition, not the 50 overs I'm so used to.
However, I felt that our score would be reasonably competitive, but the Yorkshire batting line up is very strong and I was wrong.

[GrahamB]

Off to Essex now for a County Championship match.
We've made a few changes with the return of Mike Powell in place of Fabian Cowdrey, Darren Stevens coming in to replace Ben Harmison, and Matt Coles making way for debutante paceman Ben Kemp.
Looking forward to seeing if we can have a change of fortune.

[cricfan1]

Key Looks Very weak team Except Tradwell no Player is big name
Hope you get good youngster after 5-6 years later with same result

[GrahamB]

ESSEX v KENT (County Championship D2)

We were in with a sniff on the first morning when we had the hosts at 56/3, but England opener Alastair Cook took the game away from us with a wonderful double century.

Our opening pair got us off to a solid start, but once they went, the innings fell away yet again.

Asked to follow on, we got through to 186/2 and in sight of a draw, before a similar collapse occurred to send us crashing to yet another defeat.

Roll on the end of the season so that I can hopefully bring in some decent players.
In the meantime, it's going to be a long season and a real challenge!



And we're clearly rooted to the bottom of the points table after five matches.

[benhubbs]

It's somewhat satisfying to see fellow players also struggle with Kent; the lack of any decent all-rounders and hard-hitting lower order batsmen make the first season really tough!

[GrahamB]

It's somewhat satisfying to see fellow players also struggle with Kent; the lack of any decent all-rounders and hard-hitting lower order batsmen make the first season really tough!

Yep - if anybody wants a tough challenge in County mode, Kent has to be it!
Everybody else I've seen post about playing with Kent seem to concur.

[GrahamB]

Our next match is a County Championship fixture against visiting Northamptonshire.

We've dropped Geraint Jones to give Sam Billings an opportunity. Perhaps a short spell in the second team might help Jones find his form and become more determined to contribute upon his return to the first eleven.

[GrahamB]

KENT v NORTHAMPTONSHIRE (County Championship D2)

More pain as we crashed to yet another defeat.

The visitors made full use of the prime batting conditions after winning the toss, with centuries from both Newton and Sales setting up a big score.
We'd made a useful start to have them at 110/3 prior to these two putting together a fourth wicket stand of 214!
Wakely, White and Willey all chimed in with half centuries to hammer home the advantage.
Tredwell and Davies were again the most successful bowlers, although young Ben Kemp picked up two wickets as well.

After Naylor and Billings fell early in out reply, Key and Nash came together to add 152 for the third wicket.
Our skipper, Key, had been coming under increasing pressure from the fans to start contributing more and he responded bravely.
However apart from Nash's masterful 143 and Key's 106, only Blake (31) and Tredwell (48) were able to blunt the Northamptonshire bowlers, and although out total of 396 was respectable, we still conceded a big first innings lead.

The wicket had well and truly broken up by this stage and was taking sharp turn.
Tredwell had a field day, taking 5/53 and he was ably backed up by Naylor, who took 2/45 with his part time spin.
Aiming to try and cash in on the difficult batting conditions, the visitors pulled the plug at 164/9, leaving us the unlikely victory target of 301 in two and a half sessions.

Wickets tumbled from the start, with only Rob Key standing firm amongst the carnage.
We had slim hopes of holding out for a draw in the final session, but the loss of three wickets in one devastating Willey over put paid to that.



Oh dear!

[GrahamB]

Challenge Trophy match v Unicorns coming shortly.

[6ry4nj]

Yep - if anybody wants a tough challenge in County mode, Kent has to be it!
Everybody else I've seen post about playing with Kent seem to concur.

Yet if you don't play as them (ie. the Yorkshire/NZ story), they are unbeaten and top their group in the Challenge Trophy after 5!

[GrahamB]

KENT v UNICORNS (Challenge Trophy)

With weather conditions very cloudy and a slow outfield to boot, it wasn't difficult putting the opposition in to bat after winning the toss.

The young Unicorn lads acquitted themselves well though to score 170 under the circumstances.
Mark Davies ended up with five wickets after mopping up the tail, while Ben Kemp continues to become a tighter bowler as he gains experience.

Key continued his good form as he and Naylor got us off to a good start in our chase for victory.
Naylor played an anchor role during his time at the crease, scoring 35.
However, when we needed to up the tempo towards the end, it was Alex Blake who stepped up to the plate to get us home.



Not too bad at this stage!

[GrahamB]

Yet if you don't play as them (ie. the Yorkshire/NZ story), they are unbeaten and top their group in the Challenge Trophy after 5!

LOL. Perhaps it's just us Kent managers that suck then.