Kent to play young team against New Zealand A
Kent will be giving many of its younger players the opportunity to gauge their progress against a very strong New Zealand A team, in Canterbury, in a three day match starting on Bank Holiday Monday.
Understandably, given the rigors of a long season and the Spitfire’s Quarter-final match against Gloucestershire next Friday, Head Coach Jimmy Adams have rested eight of the players who faced Hampshire in the most recent LV= County Championship match. ‘This matches gives the younger lads a chance to show us how close they are to being truly competitive at a very high level,’ noted Adams. ‘It also important for testing some of the boys who are coming back from injuries and gives some of the regular lads space to prepare themselves for the big match on Friday.’
The team will be captained by Brendan Nash, in his first appearance since suffering a side strain against Glamorgan on 6 August. It includes many of Kent’s new bred of fast bowlers, including David Griffiths, Charlie Hartley, Matt Hunn and Ivan Thomas.
The New Zealanders have, so far, had a very successful tour of the UK. They won the Triangular 50 Over competition, which included the England Lions and Sri Lanka, beating the Lions twice. In their final three One-day fixtures against Scotland, they won comfortably twice with the final match abandoned due to poor weather. The team includes some well known performers in the Black Caps including; Captain and wicketkeeper B J Watling, batters Hamish Rutherford, Tom Latham, Dean Brownlie and Grant Elliott and bowlers, Doug Bracewell, Matt Henry and Hamish Bennett. After the Kent match they face Surrey, at Kia Oval, from 31 August in their final tour match, a three day fixture.
Play is due to begin at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence on Bank Holiday Monday 25 August 2014 at 11am.
Kent (from):
· Adam Ball
· Daniel Bell-Drummond
· Alex Blake
· Sam Billings (w)
· Fabian Cowdrey
· David Griffiths
· Charlie Hartley
· Matt Hunn
· Brendan Nash (c)
· Imran Qayyum
· Adam Riley
· Ivan Thomas
Tickets
Adult pre-buy, and on the day, tickets cost £5 and allow access to the ground and Woolley Stand, Juniors (5 years – 15 years) are free. Click here for tickets. Simon Langton Girls Grammar School is not available for car parking; instead all are directed to The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence via Nackington Rd.
Injury Update:
Mark Davies unavailable for the rest of the season due to injury.