Coach’s Corner – Farby’s Blog – 23 May

The game against Loughborough University gave us the chance to play one or two young players who hadn’t yet had the chance to play in the first team, and I really enjoyed watching the two days at Canterbury. I had been looking forward to the game for a week or two, and the practice day was excellent followed by a very comprehensive victory inside two days. There was no over the top celebration and actually the chat after the game was more about areas that we perhaps could have done better. It gave us chance to chat through the two days and look at areas that needed to be worked on.

Sam captained the side very well and lead from the front with the bat, he was well backed up by just about everybody else in the side. The sad part was that Sam Billings was admitted to hospital on the second morning of the game, but I am pleased to say he has been discharged, and is recovering at home. He was taken ill over night at the end of the first day, and was quite poorly for a couple of days. Let`s hope to see him back in action soon.

Alex Blake was injured in the game and will be out of action for the next month with a torn hamstring, and we will miss him at a time when there is the T20 competition is about to start.

The good news apart from Sam`s hundred was Colesy getting five wickets and starting to find some form, Adam Riley getting five wickets as well and then the emergence of Daniel Bell Drummond. He played very well right from the off and for those members who made the game it was a pleasure to watch.

I won`t spend too much time on the Sussex one day defeat, other than to say sometimes you get beaten by better opposition, and I thought on Sunday we didn’t do a lot wrong. We did well in the end to keep them to 249, and although at times we got our lengths wrong, we stuck at it and showed some fight with the ball and also to keep going in the field. I thought Sussex bowled very well and their experienced attack didn’t give us a lot to score off. It was good to see Rob scoring runs and there was a period when Rob and Darren started to get us right into the game.

It appears my comments last week about writing letters to me have spurred another couple to follow, and at least one of them this week had the guts to put his name to it, although I won`t be replying to his advice!! Disgruntled from Canterbury and Thanet won`t get a reply either!!

I do just want to clear a couple of things up, I have read that we have offered Neil Saker a three year deal, that isn’t the case and at the moment Neil is playing on a non contract basis. He has done well for us so far and hopefully he will keep working hard and show what he is a capable of. Daniel Bell Drummond is 100% focused on playing cricket and is not thinking about a career outside cricket. We have not approached Mohammed Sami and won`t be doing so.

We have two very important games coming up over the next week, and we are looking forward to two championship matches and working very hard to play some good cricket. Practice was very good this morning and everybody worked very hard, it was good to get yesterdays defeat out of the system and prepare as well as we can for the Derbyshire game.

Best wishes,

Farby.