Match Preview: Kent vs. Hampshire

Saturday 21st September 2019

Men’s First Team

County Championship Div 1

Match Preview: Kent vs. Hampshire

Kent Cricket’s final match of the season against Hampshire is now a third-placed ‘playoff’ at The Spitfire Ground, St. Lawrence in the Specsavers County Championship.

Tickets are FREE for Day Three when ordered in advance >>>

The two sides sit two points apart in the table after Kent recorded their biggest ever run victory in their last match against Yorkshire at Emerald Headingley.

A career-best score of 237 and a five-fer from Darren Stevens, backed up by a century in each innings from captain Sam Billings, saw the visitors pick up their fifth win of the season and second in a row.

To celebrate the club’s retention of Division One cricket for next year, advance tickets are FREE for the third day of this match when booked via the Kent Cricket website. Gate entry on Day Three is also half price at £10.

Mitchell Claydon is set to feature in his final game as a Kent player before moving to Sussex for next season. Ollie Rayner will also be involved for the last game of his loan spell from Middlesex.

Hampshire’s Kyle Abbot recorded match figures of 17/86 as Hampshire put a huge dent in Somerset’s title hopes in their last match, defeating them by 136 runs.

Kent squad in full

  • Sam Billings (captain)
  • Daniel Bell-Drummond
  • Mitchell Claydon
  • Jordan Cox
  • Zak Crawley
  • Heino Kuhn
  • Matt Milnes
  • Marcus O’Riordan
  • Harry Podmore
  • Ollie Rayner
  • Ollie Robinson
  • Darren Stevens
  • Grant Stewart

Things you need to know

Live streaming

  • All untelevised Specsavers County Championship fixtures at The Spitfire Ground, St. Lawrence will be live streamed on the Kent Cricket website

Getting here

  • The Spitfire Ground, St. Lawrence in Canterbury enjoys good travel links with London and the rest of Kent
  • Full travel information can be found here
  • Gates open at 09:30 – one hour before the start of play each day
  • Both the Main Gate on Old Dover Road and the Nackington Road gate will be open but please allow plenty of time for entry

Parking

  • There will be no public pay-on-the-gate or life member on-site parking (excluding pre-paid parking pass holders & blue badge holders)
  • Parking is NOT available at Simon Langton Girls’ School for this fixture
  • On-site parking for blue badge holders costs £15 for the day and cannot be booked in advance
  • We highly recommend use of the New Dover Road Park & Ride – CT1 3EL (£3.50 per day) – More information here

Tickets

  • We recommend that supporters pre-buy tickets to guarantee entry and to save £5 on the gate price
  • Tickets are FREE when booked in advance for Day Three’s play. Gate entry tickets cost £10 on Wednesday.
  • Each day of this fixture counts as one day in the Six Pack package and will still count on Wednesday – if you are a Six Pack package holder and attending on Day Three, make use of the free ticket offer to save a day on your package.

Members’ Forum

  • The last Members’ Forum of the season will be held at Lunch on Day One in the Chiesman Pavilion and the panel will be:
    • CEO Simon Storey
    • Chairman Simon Philip
    • Director of Cricket Paul Downton

Kent Cricket Academy Awards

  • An awards ceremony for Kent Cricket’s Academy scholars this year will be held on the outfield at Tea on Day One

Community Volunteers’ Day

  • The Alan Albury and OSCA awards will take place on the outfield at Lunch on Day Two

Food & Drink

  • Spectators are permitted to bring in their own food, as well as four cans of beer or a bottle of wine

The club operates a Challenge 25 policy at all bars serving alcohol at The Spitfire Ground, St. Lawrence. If you’re lucky enough to look under 25 years of age, please bring photo ID with you if you’re purchasing alcohol inside the ground

Toilets

Toilet facilities are located around the ground:

  • Behind the Big Screen
  • Behind the Leslie Ames Stand
  • Behind the Frank Woolley Stand
  • Behind the Underwood & Knott Stand
  • Leslie Ames Bar
  • Cornwallis Bar (First floor of the Colin Cowdrey Stand)
  • Disabled toilets in the Leslie Ames entrance area and behind the Woolley Stand

Shop

The Kent Cricket Shop is located next to the Frank Woolley Stand and in the side of the Colin Cowdrey Stand and sells a variety of Kent Cricket merchandise, including:

  • Kent Cricket replica shirts
  • Kent Cricket branded clothing and accessories
  • Kent Cricket memorabilia
  • Cricket equipment
  • Hockey equipment

The end of season sale is now on with 25% off ALL cricket equipment in store

Cash machine

  • All bars support contactless card payments but if you require cash, there is a cash machine situated at the Sainsbury’s Local outside the main entrance to the ground

Weather

  • Sadly cricket matches are sometimes adversely affected by rain and play can be stopped
  • View the club’s Wet Weather Policy here