Match Preview: Kent vs. Sussex
Competitive cricket returns to Canterbury as Kent welcome Sussex to The Spitfire Ground, St. Lawrence from Saturday.
The first Bob Willis trophy to be played in Kent, the visitors come to the Garden of England on the back of a 94-run victory over Hampshire at Hove.
Former Kent Cricket Academy scholar Ollie Robinson was the pick of Sussex’s bowlers, finishing the match with figures of 8-65, whilst Mitchell Claydon took 3-61 on debut for his new county after joining from Kent during the off-season.
Kent go into this South Coast clash, the first in first-class cricket since 2017, having just missed out in a thriller against Essex at Chelmsford, losing by two wickets on the final day in East Anglia.
The hosts will be buoyed by the return of Kent captain Sam Billings from England duty – the right-hander slots into a 14-man squad that includes rotation of bowlers, as gaining match fitness remains a priority for Kent Cricket’s coaching staff.
Heino Kuhn will not feature for Kent as he and his wife Trudie await the birth of his first child, and new signing Tim Groenewald could make his full-debut for the county after joining this season from Somerset.
Play in this eagerly anticipated derby clash will begin from 11:00 on Saturday 8th August and will be streamed live via the Match Centre on the Kent Cricket website.
Kent squad in full:
- Sam Billings (Captain)
- Daniel Bell-Drummond
- Jordan Cox
- Tim Groenewald
- Calum Haggett
- Fred Klaassen
- Jack Leaning
- Marcus O’Riordan
- Harry Podmore
- Hamidullah Qadri
- Imran Qayyum
- Ollie Robinson
- Darren Stevens
- Ivan Thomas
Match Previews of Kent’s fixtures in this year’s Bob Willis Trophy are proudly sponsored by FGS Plant Ltd. >>>
