Kent v Leicestershire (Monday, 11am)

Sunday 27th August 2017

Men’s First Team

County Championship Div 2

Kent v Leicestershire (Monday, 11am)

Zak Crawley could make his Specsavers County Championship debut as Kent resume their promotion push against Leicestershire at The Spitfire Ground on Bank Holiday Monday (28 August, 11am).

The 19-year-old Kent Cricket Academy graduate made his first class debut earlier this month against the West Indies, scoring a half-century.

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Wicketkeeper Sam Billings is set to make his 50th first class appearance and Adam Milne will make his first red-ball appearance for the county after playing in a day-night Championship match with the pink ball.

Skipper Sam Northeast said: “There’s a little bit of hurt after coming second last year and not getting promoted. It’s definitely in our reach.

“It’s great to have Adam Milne fit and available with Darren Stevens, Mitch Claydon, Matt Coles and Calum Haggett around him and we hope the bowlers and re raring to go.

“Zak Crawley and Imran Qayyum have performed consistently well in the second XI and they’re both hungry to play first-team cricket.”

For Leicestershire, Mark Cosgrove (723 runs) and Ned Eckersley (618) are the most prolific batsmen this summer and Clint McKay (21 wickets) is the most penetrative bowler for the visitors with top wicket-taker Dieter Klein (22) sidelined.

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Kent squad: 23 Daniel Bell-Drummond, 58 Sean Dickson, 6 Joe Denly, 17 Sam Northeast (c), 7 Sam Billings (wk), 16 Zak Crawley, 3 Darren Stevens, 25 Calum Haggett, 26 Matt Coles, 20 Adam Milne, 8 Mitch Claydon, 11 Imran Qayyum.

Leics squad: Cosgrove (capt), Aadil, Ackermann, Carberry, Dearden, Dexter, Eckersley, Hill, Griffiths, McKay, Parkinson, Pillans, Raine.

Kent v Leics stats:

  • Kent are currently enjoying a 15-game unbeaten streak versus Leicestershire (W5 D10)
  • Seven of the last nine times these sides have met in Kent, it has ended in a draw (two wins for the home side)
  • Joe Denly (Kent) is 79 runs away from 1,000 this season in the County Championship; only Kumar Sangakkara (Surrey) has already got to that milestone
  • Darren Stevens need 2 more wickets to reach 400 in his first class career