Landmarks recorded in July

Kent Cricket honorary statistician Howard MIlton looks back at a record-breaking July for the club…

Kent’s mammoth score at Tunbridge Wells raised a number of interesting points. The major one was that it was placed third highest in Kent’s all-time list of innings totals and was the highest ever by the county at home. The following is now the full list of totals over 600 together with the top scorer in each case:-

803-4d v. Essex 332 W.H.Ashdown Brentwood 1934

652-7d v. Middlesex 208 D.I.Stevens Uxbridge 2009

633-8d v. Essex 123 B.W.Harmison Tunbridge Wells 2015

621-6d v. Essex 159 J.Seymour Tonbridge 1922

620-7d v. Surrey 183 J.M.Kemp Oval 2009

616-6d v. Oxford University 127 N.R.Taylor Oxford 1982

616-7d v. Somerset 275* M.J.Walker Canterbury 1996

615 v. Derbyshire 171 J.Seymour Derby 1908

615 v. Lancashire 180 R.W.T.Key Tunbridge Wells 2004

610 v. Hampshire 179 C.J.Burnup Bournemouth 1906

607-6d v. Gloucestershire 162 E.Humphreys Cheltenham 1910

603-6d v. Middlesex 155 D.P.Fulton Canterbury 2006

603-8d v. Warwickshire 153 T.R.Ward Birmingham 1992

602-6d v. Lancashire 203 E.T.Smith Blackpool 2003

602-7d v. Worcestershire 167 F.G.H.Chalk Dudley 1938

601-8d v. Somerset 149 E.Humphreys Taunton 1908

600-6d v. Nottinghamshire 141 M.J.Walker Canterbury 2006

To be noted is that Harmison’s score of 123 is the lowest of all the top scores listed. The reason for this is another record. No less than six of Kent’s bastmen scored over fifty in the innings, equalling a record shared by just three other instances. Also, the next highest score, 43, almost made it a new record. The three other instances, with the next highest score noted, are:-

Kent (539-9d) v. Middlesex Lord's 1928 22 (extras 27)

Kent (536) v. Lancashire Canterbury 1994 44

Kent (577-7d) v. Hampshire Canterbury 2002 48*

Somewhat short of a record overall, but still nevertheless a record v. Essex, is the margin of victory. There are 17 greater margins in Kent history, the largest being:-

BY AN INNINGS AND

314 v. Gloucestershire Catford 1909

312 v. Somerset Taunton 1901

294 v. Warwickshire Tunbridge Wells 1928

294 v. Gloucestershire Folkestone 1933

286 v. Northamptonshire Gravesend 1908

283 v. Hampshire Southampton 1904

In two other Championship matches:-

Matt Coles secured his place on the Honours Board in the Cornwallis Room by taking ten wickets in the match against Leicestershire at Grace Road. He became 79th bowler to achieve this feat and the instance was the 616th, of which “Tich” Freeman can claim 128.

Sam Billings and Calum Haggett put on 151 to set a new 7th wicket partnership for Kent against Surrey at The Oval.