Podmore: “Everyone’s very excited, as am I”
When Harry Podmore hit the winning runs against Lancashire to book Kent’s place in the Royal London Cup knock-out stages, he celebrated with a roar that could have been heard in Herne Bay.
It was a cathartic moment for the bowler, who’d missed almost the entire 2021 season through injury and had spent months of this campaign in rehab, trying to heal his knee.
“There’s a lot of passion with my celebrations, whether it’s bowling or batting,” he admitted. “There’s a lot of built up frustration from missing quite a few games, so yes, my celebrations will not be dulled.”
Podmore had spent some of that time in the BBC Radio Kent broadcast booth, commentating on his teammates, but nothing could replicated the exhilaration of being involved in that run chase.
“It means a lot,” he said. “There’s no beating around the bush, the last year’s been pretty tough with injuries and it makes it that much sweeter to be coming back and be in a Final. I know everyone’s very excited, as am I.”
It’s been a tough season for Kent’s bowlers and the side have arguably missed him as he’s missed them. Since his return to the Royal London side, the Spitfires have enjoyed a 100 percent record.
Asked, slightly tongue-in-cheek, if this is a coincidence, he responds in the same spirit: “It depends who you ask… If you ask my Mum she’d say yes!
“The boys have done really well, they’ve played some really good cricket. Darren’s won games, Grant’s won games, Robbo’s batted unbelievably this year, Joey got his first hundred and it’s been a real team performance in every single game.”
So how did he feel in that final over v Lancashire, when Harry Finch was out to the first ball and it was down to him, as the senior batter, to see the team over the line?
“You try not to feel too much or think about it too much,” he said. “You do all your hard work in the Winter and it’s situations like that that you play the game for. We could have come out on the other side, but it came off for us in that game.”
This time last year Podmore found himself in one of the most conflicting moments any sportsman can face, having to sit on the sidelines last year and watch as his team mates celebrated winning the Vitality Blast.
Did he ever doubt he’d be in a position to join them this time around?
“I thought I’d be back,” he said. “What part to play I wasn’t sure, but yeah it was tough. Any injury is tough and it’s not been easy but I’m coming out the other side now. I don’t want to look too far ahead, I’m just happy to get a game.”
By Fred Atkins
