Coach’s Corner – Farby’s Blog – 30 August

I said last week that the Indian game was a money can`t buy experience, and it proved to be exactly that! We had the longest build up to a game ever, then a brilliant game – one of the best hundreds you will see in 20 over cricket and then a bomb scare!!

The match on Friday seemed like the longest day ever, and from arriving on the ground at 10am till eventually leaving the ground at 2.30am, it was a very long day. The rain was very heavy and the match could easily have been washed out, but the ground staff did a fantastic job and eventually we got under way at 7.30pm.

Bored players are dangerous, and a bored Joe Denly is very dangerous! Barry Dyer was on the end of the prank, and it gave a lot of us a very funny half hour, only for Barry to come out on top with a signed Sachin Tendulkar shirt. Internal phones and Joe Denly are a bad combination, there will be a lot of nervous staff next time it rains and Joe is bored.

Back to the game and I thought we did very well with the ball and in the field to keep the Indians to a score we could chase, although it proved to be just out of reach it was a very good effort. I was really pleased with the fight we showed and also the skill levels. I thought one or two might find the occasion a little tough, but it showed that they coped well with the pressure of the game and the distractions. The warm ups started with the Indian team getting a security briefing whilst we played football, then once they agreed to play, we then had our own security briefing on the outfield at the end of the football. Our security man Mo Moroney came onto the field to ask if he could tell the lads about the situation happening around us.

As the game was being played we had Sky news on in the dressing room and we were able to follow events on the Old Dover road and in the city centre. Once the game was over, we had a brief chat and players showered and got ready to leave, only for the police to chase us out of the dressing rooms. We did at least get the chance to shower and collect our belongings, the two umpires couldn’t get back into their room, so at 2am I was sat with them on the Nackington road side of the ground. A very good sense of humour was needed at that time of the morning, luckily Colesy was still there!! The two poor umpires still had their match kits on and couldn’t even get to their mobile phones or wallets. The robot they had in to blow the bin up did it’s job and thankfully the drama was over.

The Derbyshire game proved to be a much quieter day, and sadly we couldn’t quite finish them off. It was a disappointing way to finish in the CB40, and we didn’t really deserve to win the game in the end. We did a lot of things right, but we also didn’t quite look as sharp in the field, lost wickets at crucial times and perhaps didn’t have the control with the ball we should have had. We will look back at the two Derbyshire games with disappointment and also the Holland game away as matches we should have won.

Onto the last three Championship matches of the season and plenty to play for. Daniel will make his debut in the championship tomorrow at Canterbury against Essex. Rob is suffering with his wrist injury and hopefully will see a specialist later in the week, but it could be his season over. That would be such a shame because he has played so well for the last couple of months and looked odds on to break the 1000 run barrier, and from the second division that would be a top effort. Balcs also plays and it will be good to have him back in the side.

There is still much to play for in the last three games from an individual point of view as well as the team. We want to finish as high up the table as possible. I am looking forward to watching how we play these final three games and really showing some excellent fight. The last two championship games have been excellent to watch and the lads have put in some excellent performances.

Congratulations to Jonah on being awarded a Benefit year for next year. He has worked very hard for Kent Cricket Club and deserves this reward. He is a very popular member of the playing staff and couldn’t have given anymore on or off the field. It has been a good time for him in the last couple of weeks. He has taken the vice captaincy role on till the end of the season and has done an excellent job.

Best wishes,

Farby.