Eddie Allcorn: A strange start

It has been a very peculiar start to the cricket season. At home, scheduling so much cricket in an exceptionally wet April, has seen just one session completed in three days against Oxford MCCU, a rain affected Gloucestershire game that spread over four days but lasted less than two in playing time and fewer than two full days against Pakistan in the Tour match.

Away from home though, two splendid victories in the Specsavers County Championship have catapulted Kent up to third in the embryonic table.

Incredibly all three games have been notable for their low scores, no sides having managed to garner even one bonus batting point, Kent have posted 64, 153, 169 and 174 in their completed innings but knocked over the opposition for 110, 91, 170, 94 and the one exception, 274 at Cardiff.

The main destroyer for Kent has been Henry, he has caused havoc, albeit in helpful conditions, 4-33 & 3-37 on his debut in a losing cause and then 5-28 & 7-45 at Chester-le-Street and 4-31 & 4-59 at Cardiff. A sensational start, just a shame we don’t have him for the whole summer!

Of what I saw at Canterbury he looks a destructively class act. It will be interesting to see him against Sussex if the sun actually makes an appearance, I’m also hoping the game makes it at least as far as Sunday! The uncontested tosses were brought in to counter dubious wickets but thus far have just handed a huge helping hand to the visiting sides.

The only other chunk of cricket I’ve managed to see was a day of the Pakistan game where Denly struck a deliciously elegant hundred after the ground staff had miraculously got the ground playable after the extraordinary deluge the day before. Hopefully something he’ll be able to replicate in the Championship. No player has scored more than Kuhn’s 69 vs Glamorgan thus far! Not conducive to developing Test batsmen and bowlers for the future,

The signing of Carlos Braithwaite for the Vitality Blast T20 will have added to the potential of the Kent team.

Before then though is normal cricket’s last hurrah in England. We get to host the 2019 5 World Cup for the first time since 1999. The initial ballot for tickets is open to the existing “cricket family” including Kent Members and England fans has just opened and closes on the 1st of June.