Walker praises Cardiff performance

Kent head coach Matt Walker praised the players after overcoming tricky batting conditions on day one in Cardiff to record a second successive Specsavers County Championship win at Sophia Gardens.

After gaining a 80-run first-innings lead, batting conditions eased as the sun shone and Kent chased 195 to win with more than a day to spare.

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Walker said: “Overall, we played a fantastic three days of cricket and it was an extremely professional performance from start to finish.

“We came through some tests that haven’t been put our way yet this season. To bowl on a wicket that was a better wicket was always going to be a test when it came along having had a couple of bowler friendly wickets in the past two games.

“It was a bizarre first day. I thought we bowled magnificently for that 57 for no wicket and didn’t have much luck.

“We have seen that before and you earn your right to get your success in the following session.

“To bowl them out for 37 runs in that session was extraordinary. Everybody bowled brilliant.

“Ivan Thomas and Harry Podmore came on before lunch and kept it tight, which was crucial.

“Those guys got the rewards in a crazy second session. Matt is bowling brilliantly and Stevo is still doing his thing. It’s the bowling unit I’m most pleased with now.”

Walker said: “We let them back in the door a bit. An 80 run lead is good but not a much winning lead. It certainly gave us a nice cushion but that got eaten up pretty quickly.

“I think between 250 and 280 would have been a fair score on that wicket. They bowled well and the surface helped them on that first day.”

Winter signing Heino Kuhn scored a fluent 69 not out to pass 10,000 first-class runs and Walker praised the new man’s contribution.

The former Kent batsman said: “He’s an experienced player who has been there and done it many times before.

“The way he played was much more positive and took the game to them. When you have a player who can do that it is great.

“We are going to see a lot of runs from Heino in the summer and he will show what he is about.

“We chased down 195 and we haven’t done that yet this season and we dealt with it brilliantly.”