Match Preview: Kent vs. Surrey
Kent host Surrey at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence in the Vitality County Championship, continuing the oldest rivalry in world cricket.
Derek Underwood: 1945-2024
The Club is in mourning following the death of one of the icons of Kent Cricket, Derek Underwood.
A minute’s silence will take place before play on Day One of this fixture to celebrate the life and career England’s most successful Test spinner.
A Book of Condolence for Kent Members & supporters to remember Derek in will be inside the Kent Cricket Shop throughout the match.
Kent’s players will be wearing black armbands throughout the match, and the Flag of Kent at the top of the Frank Woolley Stand will continue to fly at half mast.
Matchday Information
Important matchday information for Members, Six Pack Ticket Bundle holders & those that have purchased matchday tickets can be accessed via the button below:
View Matchday Information
We strongly advise that all Members & spectators travelling to the ground make use of public transport.
The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence is located approximately a mile from the historic Cathedral City Centre of Canterbury.
View The Spitfire Ground guide
The floodlights at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence will be in use for this match after successful repair work carried out this past week.
Weather forecast
- Buy your tickets with confidence – should there be less than 16 overs bowled in the day, ticket purchasers for that day’s play will receive an automatic ticket credit to their Kent Cricket Ticketing Account.
- Follow Kent Cricket on X to receive live updates on prospects of play should there be any delays.
View Wet Weather Policy
Free Digital Match Programme
The Club’s tribute to Derek Underwood is inside your latest free Match Programme, which also includes the statistical history of Kent vs. Surrey in first-class cricket:
View Digital Match Programme
It’s not too late to become a Kent Member for this Summer – be a part of the Kent Cricket family and guarantee your place at Kent’s home matches this season, even if tickets are sold out:
Buy Membership now
Members’ Forum
The first Members’ Forum of the 2024 season will take place inside the Ames Levett Indoor School during the Lunch break on Day One (Friday 19 April). Members must show their valid 2024 Membership Card for entry.
The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence Ground Tours
This season, comprehensive tours of all of The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence will take place – revealing the history and mystery of the place that Kent Cricket has called home for around 180 years.
Led by experienced & knowledgeable guides, you will visit parts that other spectators cannot always reach, and learn about the people, events & trees that have made our home so famous & well-loved.
Tours begin at 13:00 on matchdays, and at 11:00 on non-match days, costing £5 for adults & FREE for Under 14s accompanied by an adult. Each tour will last around 60 – 90 minutes.
Tickets are available to buy at the Box Office at the Kennedy Gates on matchdays.
For more information, please contact the Kent Cricket Heritage Trust:
Contact the Kent Cricket Heritage Trust
Tea Time Talk for Members
During the Tea break on Day One, Kent Cricket’s Honorary Curator, Ian Phipps, will be delivering the first Tea Time Talk of the season inside the Chiesman Pavilion (a Members’ Bar), showcasing a couple of items in the Club’s collection for Members to take a look at.
Anyone with a ticket to a Ground Tour can also attend.
Live Match Centre
Kent vs. Surrey will be live streamed & embedded into the Match Centre on the Kent Cricket website.
View Match Centre
Opposition Report
- Captain: Rory Burns
- Head Coach: Gareth Batty
- 2023 finish: Champions (Division One)
- 2023 highest run-scorer: Dom Sibley (746)
- 2023 highest wicket-taker: Jordan Clark and Dan Worrall (both 48)
Surrey are currently fifth in Division One, one point above Kent, following draws with both Lancashire & Somerset.
Leg-break bowler Cameron Steel is currently the top wicket taker in the division, with 14 at an average of 12.21. Surrey’s top run-getter of 2023, Dom Sibley, is currently their highest scorer of this year so far, with 110.
Surrey’s successes in recent seasons has been based on fast-bowling power and a batting order with depth. In 2023, while the overall batting effort might have been better, no fewer than 16 different players scored at least one Championship half-century (from 33 in all) while six of them also featured in a total of nine hundreds.
Much more celebrated though, was the record of a seven-strong seam attack: Clark and Worrall’s 48 wickets apiece came at an average of 21.35 and 24.20 respectively, followed by Tom Lawes (39 at 19.76), Sean Abbott (37 at 24.78), Kemar Roach (26 at 26.26), Gus Atkinson (20 at 20.20) and Jamie Overton (14 at 24.64). Roach and Abbott both return as overseas players.
Team News
Kent Men’s Head Coach Matt Walker has named a squad of 14 for Kent vs. Surrey in the Vitality County Championship.
After following ECB advice to not feature any two matches of the first section of Vitality County Championship fixtures this year, Zak Crawley is available for Kent for the first time this season.
Jaydn Denly is included in the squad after helping to steer Kent to a draw against Essex with the bat on Day Four last time out. Joey Evison is included after missing out against Essex with a minor calf injury picked up during warm-ups in Chelmsford.
Matt Quinn (back) & Grant Stewart (calf) remain unfit and will not feature in this match after sustaining injuries during pre-season and are being closely assessed by the Club’s physios. Stewart has been featuring for Kent Second XI this week at Beckenham to build up his match fitness. Michael Cohen (stress fracture) has been ruled out of the 2024 season.
Fast bowling all-rounder Beyers Swanepoel, who will replace Xavier Bartlett as Kent’s second overseas star in the Vitality County Championship, will join up with the squad from 7 May. He be available for Kent’s Championship match with Worcestershire onwards.
Kent’s Match Squad, presented by Black Opal Travel Group >>>
Make sure you’re here for the all-action Vitality Blast in June and July
Tickets for your Summer social in Canterbury to see the Kent Spitfires in T20 competition are on general sale now:
Buy your T20 tickets here
Lock in your place at The Spitfire Ground this Summer. Several matches completely sold out in 2023. Take advantage of Early Bird prices before the end of 1 May and save money by buying today.
