Busy Second XI schedule to begin
Sunday 10th April 2022
Kent Men’s Second Team start the new season with a four-day Second XI Championship match away to Sussex at Blackstone Academy, starting on Monday 11 April.
View Kent Men Second Team fixtures
In what will be a busy Summer programme of cricket, the Kent side will play in one of three regional groups, which includes Sussex, Essex, Hampshire, Middlesex and Surrey.
Kent Seconds will also have four day fixtures against other regional opposition; with matches versus Northamptonshire, Yorkshire, Durham, Warwickshire, Leicestershire and Gloucestershire.
The team will also be in the Southern Group of the Second XI T20 competition, with home fixtures taking place at The County Ground, Beckenham. There will also be a Championship match at the Metropolitan Kent venue, as well as two 50-over friendly matches against a Jersey Select Team.
Other home Championship matches will played at Polo Farm in Canterbury, Folkestone, and there is a return to Tonbridge School, for a four-day fixture against Warwickshire in July.
Second XI cricket does not include a 50 over competition, although there is a friendly fixture with Essex at Billericay on July 25. The side do not then have any fixtures for a month whilst the first team are involved in the Royal London One Day Cup competition.
In past seasons, Kent Seconds have had a number of trialists playing for them but Director of Cricket, Paul Downton, hopes that now the county have a bigger playing squad, the team will have more of professional players involved.
The Club’s highly successful Academy has also been expanded for the coming season from four players to eight, which will give some of the talented youngsters the opportunity to savour Second XI cricket.
“We take a lot of notice of how players perform in the Seconds”, he said. “There is a clear message for them that if they do well they can get into the first team squad, which is already very strong.”
One player with a familiar Kent cricket name is a third generation Ealham. 20-year-old George is son of former Kent & England son of Mark, and grandson of Kent legend Alan, and is back ‘home’ after playing for Surrey Second XI last season.
Paul Downton is delighted that the Seconds will be returning to Tonbridge School for a four day Championship match. “We have always had a great relationship with the school over the years, and they have produced some wonderful top class cricketers for the county in the past.
“It is an arrangement which I hope will continue in the future, and it’s great to be going back there. It is an excellent venue for watching cricket”.
Match reports from all Second XI matches will be published on the Club website throughout the season, and with all COVID-related restrictions now lifted, supporters can attend matches free of charge.
By Peter Burrowes
Join Kent Cricket and watch the 2021 Vitality Blast Champions in action across all formats in 2022 – Kent Memberships & Six Pack Ticket Bundles are available now.
Become a Kent Member for 2022 now
