Match Report: Kent get pre-season up and running
Merchant Taylors’ School in Hertfordshire was the host of the start of Kent’s 2021 campaign as the visitors took on Middlesex in a two-day friendly match.
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Day Two Report:
Play resumed at 09:45 on Day Two to try and get as much play in as possible with forecasted inclement weather.
Kent, resuming on 95/1, enjoyed similar success to Middlesex with the bat. Stand-in skipper Daniel Bell-Drummond reached 50 in 81 deliveries, and faced a further 20 balls before retiring out on 63, leaving Kent on 124/2.
Joe Denly came into the middle with England teammate Zak Crawley, and showed no signs of hanging around in his time in the middle.
At one point, the Canterbury-born right-hander was scoring a over a run a ball well into the 30s.
Zak Crawley departed for 17 runs after mistiming a punched shot to Andersson from the bowling of Tom Helm, before Denly reached his half century with a massive six back over the bowlers’ head.
Nathan Sowter would enact his revenge soon after, bowling Denly through the gate, who departed on 53 from 59 deliveries.
Short stints in the middle from Jack Leaning and Kent’s ‘keeper Ollie Robinson saw Kent through to a score of 206/4 at the early Lunch break, leading MIddlesex’ first innings by 22 runs.
By this time the forecasted wet weather had arrived, and it was decided to end the match as a draw. Both sides had enjoyed exactly 60 overs with both bat and ball – a good start to Kent’s pre-season calendar.
Kent will take on rivals Essex in the next pre-season friendly at the Cloudfm County Ground, Chelmsford, on Monday 29 and Tuesday 30 March.
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Day One Report:
Agreed before the start of play on Day One, Middlesex were due 60 overs batting first in the tie, with Kent potentially getting 30 overs to bat at the end of the day, going into Day Two.
Harry Podmore delivered the first ball of Kent’s Summer, only just missing the edge of former England Test opener Sam Robson, but Kent were made to work hard for spoils in what would be an impressive stand between the Middlesex opening pair of Robson and Max Holden.
The duo put on 141 runs together despite numerous chances for Kent’s bowlers, and looked solid in their defence in overcast conditions.
After a weather delay forced the afternoon Tea break, Middlesex’s openers retired out after both passing 50, but it only took three deliveries for Kent’s Grant Stewart to take the county’s first wicket in earnest this calendar year: Nick Gubbins was wrapped on the pads and had to depart, before his post-Tea batting partner Stevie Eskinazi was dismissed by the same ‘LBW’ method after a full outswinger from Kent paceman Matt Milnes.
Middlesex ‘declared’ after their 60 overs on 184/4, although the stress from both camps has been that this fixture is an ideal opportunity for squads to gain match fitness.
In the week leading up to this match, Kent Head Coach Matt Walker has said that whilst match practice has been an issue, Kent’s players’ fitness work has gone up a level under the stewardship of Lead S&C Coach, Rob Chave.
However, lack of a warm weather training camp this Winter has meant that bowlers haven’t been able bowl as many overs as usual with their full run-ups on grass, making pre-season matches like this all the more vital in preparation for the 2021 season.
Kent’s coaches will be pleased to have seen low economy rates by the likes of Podmore (2.30), Matt Milnes (2.32) & Darren Stevens (2.60), as Kent’s bowlers begin to fully get back into the groove of bowling outdoors, with this match at Middlesex the first of three friendlies designed for the squad to reach full match fitness.
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With the bat, newly appointed Vice-Captain Daniel Bell-Drummond and Jordan Cox, who announced himself to the county circuit with a double hundred in style last season, put on an opening stand of 95 runs before the end of play.
Cox looked to play conditions well as, despite a slow start to his innings, he went ‘up the gears’ via the boundary rope, before being caught behind for 36 in unusual circumstances. After edging an attempted cut shot, it looked like Middlesex ‘keeper Robbie White had dropped the chance, only for the ball to bounce off his foot and him to snaffle the rebound.
On his official Vice-Captaincy debut, Bell-Drummond reached 47 not out at the end of Day One in impressive time. With a two-ball cameo from returning England batsman Zak Crawley, Kent ended the day with an innings run rate of 3.80.
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