From the Archives: Matches in October
Tuesday 29th September 2020
In a season heavily impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic, Kent Spitfires’ Vitality Blast Quarter Final is the first time Kent have played competitive cricket in England in October in the Club’s 149-year history.
What is less well-known, however, is that Kent have actually played twice in the tenth month of the year before, albeit overseas.
In 1903, Kent travelled to the USA to tour New England, playing matches against local sides after the end of the 1903 County Championship. Kent had finished ninth in the tournament, and it was three years before the county picked up their first league title.
Kent were captained on the tour by famous amateur sportsman Cuthbert Burnup, who alongside playing cricket for the county of his birth, had made one appearance for the England national football team against Scotland in 1896. That same year, Burnup had become the first Kent batsman to score a century before lunch in a first-class match.
Also in the Kent touring side was: future Kent captain and England Rugby player Ted Dillon; James Seymour, who would become the first batsman to ever be awarded a Benefit Year in 1920; 1898 Wisden Cricketer of the Year and explosive all-round Jack Mason, future Cricketer of the Year and captain K.L. Hutchings who would perish in the First World War; Kent wicketkeeping legend and record breaker Fred Huish; England Test bowler Bill Bradley; and legendary Kent spinner Colin Blythe.
Kent’s tour of North America began in Philadelphia on 18th September with an eight wicket win over Philadelphia Colts, followed by comprehensive victories over Gentlemen of Philadelpiha and All New York. Kent’s final match of the tour, a rematch against Gentlemen of Philadelphia, was a three-day match beginning on 2nd October.
After losing the toss and being asked to bowl first, Kent dismissed the Gentlemen for just 66 runs, Blythe taking 5/30 in 14 overs. In fact, Kent even completed a whole innings in the rest of the first day, the final wicket to fall on 180 signalling stumps, Dillon top scoring with 64.
In their second innings, the Gentlemen were dismissed for 177, helping along the way by Kent fast bowler Bradley’s 4/68, adding to his 4/32 from the first innings. Kent moved onto 46/1 at close on Day Two, needing just 17 more runs for victory on Day Three, Seymour and Mason knocking off the winning runs and giving Kent a clean sweep of all the opponents on their North American tour.
View full scorecard via Cricket Archive (£) >>>
In 1979, Kent ended their County Championship in fifth position, after winning the title the year previously.
The county travelled to the Caribbean not long afterwards, travelling to Antigua to take on a Garry Sobers XI.
The first match scheduled for 30th September was abandoned without a ball bowled, as well as the second planned day of play on 3rd October. Eventually, Kent took on Antigua in a 50-over match at St. John’s on 8th October.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, Kent’s top five that boasted such names as Bob Woolmer, Chris Tavaré and Colin Cowdrey only reached double figures twice, the visitors eventually slumping to 97 all out after 40.3 overs.
Evidently, Kent were unable to cope with one Antigua bowler in particular, who took four wickets in his ten overs and conceded just 17 runs – all four of his victims were bowled. His name was Eldine Baptiste, who would go on to play for Kent between 1981 and 1987, taking 327 wickets for Kent, earning a County Cap and making ten Test appearances for the West Indies.
In reply, Antigua met their required 98 in 22.5 overs, losing two wickets.
View full scorecard via Cricket Archive (£) >>>
The Live Stream of Surrey vs. Kent Spitfires on Thursday 1st October begins at 13:00 and will come via the Club’s Match Centre, with pictures courtesy of our colleagues at Surrey.
Streamed via Facebook, the Live Stream also provides Chromecast support – Kent fans with Chromecast devices on their TVs can ‘cast’ the stream from Facebook directly onto their TV from any smart device.
