Busy Summer ahead for Men’s Second XI

Kent Second XI start their home 2024 campaign with a four-day Second XI Championship match, against Essex Seconds, at the County Ground, Beckenham, on Monday 8 April, the first match of a busy Summer ahead.

The team will play across all three formats, with home fixtures at the North Kent venue, Polo Farm, Canterbury, and the Nevill Ground, Tunbridge Wells, which will stage four T20 Blast matches.

View all 2024 Kent Second XI Fixtures

Middlesex Second XI will visit the Nevill on Spring Bank Holiday Monday, 27 May,  for a Second XI T20 fixture, Sussex Seconds are there for a local derby T20, on Wednesday 5 June, and there is a double header, against Hampshire’s Second team, on Monday 10 June.

The County Ground, Beckenham, will host two prestigious fixtures, a three day game against the South Asian Cricket Academy, starting on Monday 17 June 17 and a One Day 50 Over friendly against the touring Zimbabwe A side, on Tuesday 16 July. This will be followed two days later, with another 50 Over friendly, against Essex Second XI, on Thursday 18 July.

As in previous seasons no Second XI cricket is played whilst the Metro Bank One Day Cup and The Hundred are taking place, in part of July and August. There are some new away venues for supporters to visit this season, with the Seconds playing at Guildford, Horsham, Uxbridge, as well as Chelmsford, Billericay, New Malden and Southampton.

The Second XI teams during the season will be a mixture of contracted players, talented cricketers from Kent League sides, trialists looking to impress, and youngsters from the clubs highly successful Academy.

Second XI Coach, Mark Dekker already has one trialist lined up to play some matches, England Under-19 wicket-keeper Jack Carney, who will have a chance behind the stumps. There will also be opportunities for the six Academy students, Oliver Curtiss, Ben Dawkins, Barney Ford, Vish Parakarama, Ekansh Singh and Rajan Sian, to get some experience playing at a higher level, which is important for their cricket development.

Head of Talent Pathway, Min Patel said that through their performances, when they are given a game in the Seconds, they could be offered Rookie contracts with the Club, which youngster Jaydn Denly has already achieved with great success. He made his first team debut in a Metro Bank One Day Cup match last season, as well as taking part earlier this year in the Under 19s World Cup for England.

Mark Dekker is looking forward to the season, and especially the match against his home country, Zimbabwe, for whom he made 14 Test Match appearances, and played in 23 One Day internationals. “It will be a good challenge for the team and an attractive fixture for the spectators to enjoy”, he said.

Entry to all of Kent Second XI matches are free for Members and supporters, who can look forward to an exciting summer of cricket.

By Peter Burrowes

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