The last round of matches for a while as One Day cricket takes over. In Division 1, positive results take Notts and Lancs to the top of the table, while in Division 2, the most thrilling game was the only one that was drawn.
Division 1
Somerset’s batting has begun to look a little flaky and this was shown Nottinghamshire bowled them out for just 138 at Trent Bridge. Charl Willoughby undid some of the damage in reply with 5 wickets as Notts reached 261 for a significant lead. Second time round, Somerset did much better, led by 98 from Marcus Trescothick, they made 383 to set Notts 261 to win, which they did thatnks largely to an unbeaten 5th wicket stand of 124 between Adam Voges and Ali Brown. Notts go top at this early stage.
The return of Peter Moores to county cricket has been a successful one and Lancashire bowled out Worcestershire for just 167, with Glen Chapple taking 6 wickets and Saj Mahmood 4. Chapple then hit 89 as Lancs recovered from 181 for 7 to 347 all out. In the second innings, it was Mahmood’s turn to take a 6-fer as Worcester managed 301, Moeen Ali maintaining his decent start to the season with 80. This left Lancs needing 122 to win, which they reached for the loss of 4 wickets. They are challenging at the top while Worcester already look like they are struggling to adapt to Division 1.
Durham were indebted to a ton from Dale Benkenstein and an unbeaten 94 from Liam Plunkett as they made 380 against Sussex at Hove. The home side got close to parity, with Andrew Hodd making a ton, Plunkett and Mitch Claydon taking four wickets apiece. Mike diVenuto and Gordon Muchall then both hit tons as Durham declared on 299 for 4. However, despite further success with the ball for Plunkett, they weren’t able to force a result and the game was drawn.
Yorkshire have been having batting trouble in one day cricket. However, this was soon forgotten as they racked up 600 for 8 against Warwickshire with Joe Sayers (173) and Antony McGrath (a career best 211) putting on 346 for the 3rd wicket, a new Yorkshire record (surpassing the greats Herbert Sutcliffe and Maurice Leyland). However, there was also a career best 120 for Jeetan Patel as he and Jonathan Trott (161) put on 233 for the 9th wicket to save the follow on and end the game as a contest. There was just time for Yorkshire to declare on 162 for 3 and hope for a Warwickshire wobble. This wasn’t to be as they reached 60 for 1 comfortably and the game was drawn.
Division 2
Surrey welcomed back Mark Ramprakash and he was straight back into the runs with a ton as Surrey managed their first batting points of the season with 388 against Middlesex. Philip Hughes is also in a fine vein of form (rather now than later in the season) and hit 195 as Middlesex took a healthy first innings lead with 445. Second time round Shaun Udal took six wickets as Surrey managed just 242, leaving Middlesex needing 186 to win in 25 overs. It was always tight and with 10 needed off the last over, Udal hit a 6 to put Middlesex in the driving seat. However, he was out the next ball and with three needed off the last ball, Alan Richardson was run out going for the second, leaving Middlesex on 184 for 9, and the game drawn.
Gloucestershire have benefitted from the return of coach John Bracewell and Zimbabwean Anthony Ireland took 6 wickets as they bowled Leicestershire out for just 133. Alex Gidman made more than that on his own, scoring 159 of Gloucester’s 393 in reply. Leicester battled back in their second innings making 331, Jon Lewis taking four wickets. However, this left Gloucester needing only 72 to win, which they managed without losing a wicket and they are top of the table.
Preseason favourite, Kent, were struggling at 131 for 6, until James Tredwell and Wayne Parnell put on 151 for the 7th wicket to get to 282, as the final four wickets fell without a run being added. Glamorgan made 307 in reply, skipper Jamie Dalrymple top scoring as he continued his impressive start to the season. Martin van Jaarsveld (182) and Geraint Jones (133) then put together a stand of 309 as Kent declared on 409 for 4. Tredwell then took over with the ball, taking 8 wickets as Glamorgan collapsed to 180 all out, Kent winning by 204 runs.
Finally, Essex scored just 221 against Northamptonshire as Andrew Hall took five wickets. Northants built up a substantial lead, scoring 354, Riki Wessels top scoring with 84. Steve Crook then took five wickets as Essex made 304 second time round, James Foster making 84. Northants reached their target of 176 for the loss of just two wickets and they keep up the pressure towards the top of the table at this early stage.
England Player Watch
Michael Vaughan on current form should be more worried about his Yorkshire place than getting back into the England team. Likewise on a placid Edgbaston wicket, Ian Bell was overshone by his colleagues, notably Jonathan Trott, who has dropped out of International reckoning following a couple of limited over appearances. James Foster made 84 for Essex
Both Saj Mahmood and Liam Plunkett were in the wickets taking ten and eight respectively, with Plunkett also reaffirming his potential with the bat. Steve Harmison, like Vaughan, continues to struggle with his form. Ryan Sidebottom picked up four wickets as he recovers from injury. Adil Rashid picked up a couple of wickets, while also making a half century with the bat. Chris Woakes picked up the walking wicket of Michael Vaughan, but like all of the other bowlers, struggled to make an impact on a flat Edgbaston pitch. Monty Panesar also had little success, taking just one wicket in 31 overs, although he went for little more than one run an over.
Player of the Week
The Roses captains both make a good case for inclusion, with Antony McGrath getting a double hundred and Glen Chapple making significant contributions with bat and ball. However, it is another all round performance that gets this week’s award. For a half century that made Kent competitive and then eight wickets that won then the match, the Player of the week is James Tredwell.
Showing posts with label James Tredwell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label James Tredwell. Show all posts
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
Friday, 27 June 2008
The Twenty20 cup's form players
With the Twenty20 cup reaching the end of the qualification stage, it is time to evaluate who has made an impact so far in this year’s tournament.
The stakes are high in this year’s Twenty20 cup and numerous English players have risen to the occasion. With the big-money carrots of IPL contracts and a place in the England squad in their minds, domestic players have produced some notable performances that will make the franchises and national selectors sit up and take notice.
The Indian Premier League was not dominated by the superstar overseas players as was expected, with lesser known names like Shaun Marsh and Sohail Tanvir lighting up the event. We have seen overseas players have an impact this summer, but this has mainly been with the ball.
Eight of the tournament’s top 10 runscorers are English, which might make some of the national team’s batsmen a little wary ahead of November’s Stanford bonanza in the Caribbean.
Graham Napier is bottom of that list but his record-breaking innings of 152 not out against Sussex has surely put him in the Twenty20 international limelight. Few players are capable of such rope-clearing and his nippy opening bowling that has brought him nine wickets is more than just a bonus.
Six-hitting is the IPL currency and Napier might expect a phone call when the new contracts are handed out. Twenty20 batting is not just about producing the big shots and two of the event’s most consistent performers are proof that a classical technique can prosper in the shortened format.
England Lions Joe Denly and Michael Carberry are already in the selectors’ thoughts and with four half centuries apiece they are clearly capable of combining quick-scoring and innings-building.
Mal Loye and Anthony McGrath have been the northern division’s top runscorers but are unlikely to resume their England careers, although 28 year old Michael Lumb and Rob White are at their peak and would represent an endorsement of county form if they boarded the plane for the West Indies.
Phil Mustard and James Foster have been the premier wicket keepers on show and will be watching Tim Ambrose’s continued batting troubles for England with interest.
The bowling stars have generally been experienced overseas campaigners. Andrew Hall and Tyron Henderson (first and third in the worldwide Twenty20 wicket-taking charts) lead a Kolpak contingent that is broken up by Simon Marshall, James Tredwell and Rich Pyrah.
All three are capable top order batsmen who can operate in the top six and each would bring something different to the England set-up. Leg spinner Marshall has been overlooked in most quarters in favour of Roses rival Adil Rashid, despite offering a similar all-round package.
Tredwell, who has an economy rate of 6.03 in the tournament so far, is an off-spinner who is unafraid to flight the ball even in the face of a Twenty20 onslaught and was a key component of Kent’s trophy winning outfit last term. Pyrah generally operates in the middle overs and 14 wickets in eight matches is a good return for a seam bowler who does not rely on express pace.
The lack of English death bowlers is a concern and few have staked acclaim for this role domestically.
England appear to be grooming the inexperienced Luke Wright for the role and the best display I have seen in this year’s tournament has been by Tim Bresnan, who bowled nearly a full set of final over yorkers in a tense battle with Lancashire, which is a good indicator of his ability to handle the pressure of the win or bust Stanford match.
The stakes are high in this year’s Twenty20 cup and numerous English players have risen to the occasion. With the big-money carrots of IPL contracts and a place in the England squad in their minds, domestic players have produced some notable performances that will make the franchises and national selectors sit up and take notice.
The Indian Premier League was not dominated by the superstar overseas players as was expected, with lesser known names like Shaun Marsh and Sohail Tanvir lighting up the event. We have seen overseas players have an impact this summer, but this has mainly been with the ball.
Eight of the tournament’s top 10 runscorers are English, which might make some of the national team’s batsmen a little wary ahead of November’s Stanford bonanza in the Caribbean.
Graham Napier is bottom of that list but his record-breaking innings of 152 not out against Sussex has surely put him in the Twenty20 international limelight. Few players are capable of such rope-clearing and his nippy opening bowling that has brought him nine wickets is more than just a bonus.
Six-hitting is the IPL currency and Napier might expect a phone call when the new contracts are handed out. Twenty20 batting is not just about producing the big shots and two of the event’s most consistent performers are proof that a classical technique can prosper in the shortened format.
England Lions Joe Denly and Michael Carberry are already in the selectors’ thoughts and with four half centuries apiece they are clearly capable of combining quick-scoring and innings-building.
Mal Loye and Anthony McGrath have been the northern division’s top runscorers but are unlikely to resume their England careers, although 28 year old Michael Lumb and Rob White are at their peak and would represent an endorsement of county form if they boarded the plane for the West Indies.
Phil Mustard and James Foster have been the premier wicket keepers on show and will be watching Tim Ambrose’s continued batting troubles for England with interest.
The bowling stars have generally been experienced overseas campaigners. Andrew Hall and Tyron Henderson (first and third in the worldwide Twenty20 wicket-taking charts) lead a Kolpak contingent that is broken up by Simon Marshall, James Tredwell and Rich Pyrah.
All three are capable top order batsmen who can operate in the top six and each would bring something different to the England set-up. Leg spinner Marshall has been overlooked in most quarters in favour of Roses rival Adil Rashid, despite offering a similar all-round package.
Tredwell, who has an economy rate of 6.03 in the tournament so far, is an off-spinner who is unafraid to flight the ball even in the face of a Twenty20 onslaught and was a key component of Kent’s trophy winning outfit last term. Pyrah generally operates in the middle overs and 14 wickets in eight matches is a good return for a seam bowler who does not rely on express pace.
The lack of English death bowlers is a concern and few have staked acclaim for this role domestically.
England appear to be grooming the inexperienced Luke Wright for the role and the best display I have seen in this year’s tournament has been by Tim Bresnan, who bowled nearly a full set of final over yorkers in a tense battle with Lancashire, which is a good indicator of his ability to handle the pressure of the win or bust Stanford match.
Monday, 21 April 2008
England's prospects for Summer 2008.
The ECB today announced a 26 man England Performance Squad for the 2008 Summer season. Along with the centrally contracted players and many of the usual suspects, the uncapped trio of Michael Carberry, James Tredwell and most excitingly Adil Rashid, were included in the 'EPS'. Doubtless much will be made of Rashid's inclusion; the young spinner has impressed greatly whether it be with Yorkshire or on the recent England Lions tour to India, while England have been searching for leg-spinning magic for as long as can be remembered.
Although it is clearly important to allow these young and clearly talented players to come under Peter Moores' tutelage, one wonders whether or not there are any gaps in the England side that need to be filled. Despite the absence of Harmison and Hoggard in Napier, the England team is beginning to be as settled as it has been post the much celebrated 2005 Ashes triumph, so here is an opportunity to look more closely at the players who will make up the England team in the 2008 Summer.
Alistair Cook's unflappable temperament at the top of the order has meant that Marcus Trescothick has not been too sorely missed, while Michael Vaughan and Andrew Strauss, despite recent blips complete a top three of real International pedigree. This author would suggest that perhaps there is only room for two of the aforementioned batsmen at the top of the order, and that Ian Bell as opposed to Vaughan or Strauss would be a better prospect at number three. Nonetheless it would be no surprise to see Bell taking up a slot in the middle order sandwiched between Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood, both of whom are automatic selections in both forms of the game. Tim Ambrose will hopefully be given a chance to prove himself throughout the summer, and first impressions would suggest that he has a real chance to establish himself as a permanent fixture in the Test team.
Considering the hype surrounding Andrew Flintoff's return to domestic cricket, it would seem that his international comeback is imminent, though it would be interesting to see him in a slightly different role than he once filled; as a bowler with the ability to change the game from number 8, although it could be argued that this is a waste of the supreme all-rounder's undoubted talents.
That leaves the bowlers, and while Harmison and Hoggard will have something to prove in the opening county exchanges, they will be on the edge of Test match selection throughout the summer. Stuart Broad impressed sufficiently over the winter to suggest that he has a real future and it would be a tough break if he were to make way for either Harmison or Hoggard.
Ryan Sidebottom was the star of the New Zealand tour and with his flowing locks and dangerous swing back into the right handers, Michael Vaughan will be calling on him time and again throughout a busy summer. James Anderson's ability to extract regular and sometimes late swing has meant that the selectors have persisted with him for long periods of time and his will be a name on the selectors' lips throughout the summer. Monty Panesar, after bursting onto the International scene, had a largely disappointing winter, and it would be an interesting move if the selector were to plump for the winter's drinks carrier Graeme Swann, James Tredwell or even Rashid, especially as any of these three would offer substantially more with the bat and in the field.
Owais Shah and Ravi Bopara lie on the cusp of selection, but it is difficult to imagine either getting a run in the Test side without injuries to some of the more established players. Thus, even though a 26 man EPS has been named, England's side is reasonably well settled, and the competition for places is very healthy, particularly amongst the seam bowlers.
England will hope to be more dominant and assertive against New Zealand this time around, although South Africa will pose a far more serious challenge. The Proteas' pace attack is one to be feared, with Dale Steyn becoming more dangerous by the series, Makyha Ntini still a force to be reckoned with and Morne Morkel consistently bowling close to 90mph. Moreover South Africa's batting line up has been firing lately with Neil McKenzie enjoying a renaissance and Hashim Amla finally reproducing his domestic form on the International arena Graeme Smith and Jaques Kallis are seriously class acts and Mark Boucher and AB de Villiers will make consistent contributions in the middle order. England will need to be at their best if they are to compete and consistently so. The first step towards consistent performances is sending out an unchanged side, consistently, enabling the team to bond and develop an understanding as per the 2005 Ashes.
On a finishing note it is interesting to observe two notable omissions from the EPS, Simon Jones has become somewhat of a forgotten man during his recovery from injury, but this author would suggest that he can be a bowler of international class again, while the other man to miss out is the one and only Mr Mark Ramprakash, who, rather inevitably opened his 2008 Championship account with a patient century.
Although it is clearly important to allow these young and clearly talented players to come under Peter Moores' tutelage, one wonders whether or not there are any gaps in the England side that need to be filled. Despite the absence of Harmison and Hoggard in Napier, the England team is beginning to be as settled as it has been post the much celebrated 2005 Ashes triumph, so here is an opportunity to look more closely at the players who will make up the England team in the 2008 Summer.
Alistair Cook's unflappable temperament at the top of the order has meant that Marcus Trescothick has not been too sorely missed, while Michael Vaughan and Andrew Strauss, despite recent blips complete a top three of real International pedigree. This author would suggest that perhaps there is only room for two of the aforementioned batsmen at the top of the order, and that Ian Bell as opposed to Vaughan or Strauss would be a better prospect at number three. Nonetheless it would be no surprise to see Bell taking up a slot in the middle order sandwiched between Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood, both of whom are automatic selections in both forms of the game. Tim Ambrose will hopefully be given a chance to prove himself throughout the summer, and first impressions would suggest that he has a real chance to establish himself as a permanent fixture in the Test team.
Considering the hype surrounding Andrew Flintoff's return to domestic cricket, it would seem that his international comeback is imminent, though it would be interesting to see him in a slightly different role than he once filled; as a bowler with the ability to change the game from number 8, although it could be argued that this is a waste of the supreme all-rounder's undoubted talents.
That leaves the bowlers, and while Harmison and Hoggard will have something to prove in the opening county exchanges, they will be on the edge of Test match selection throughout the summer. Stuart Broad impressed sufficiently over the winter to suggest that he has a real future and it would be a tough break if he were to make way for either Harmison or Hoggard.
Ryan Sidebottom was the star of the New Zealand tour and with his flowing locks and dangerous swing back into the right handers, Michael Vaughan will be calling on him time and again throughout a busy summer. James Anderson's ability to extract regular and sometimes late swing has meant that the selectors have persisted with him for long periods of time and his will be a name on the selectors' lips throughout the summer. Monty Panesar, after bursting onto the International scene, had a largely disappointing winter, and it would be an interesting move if the selector were to plump for the winter's drinks carrier Graeme Swann, James Tredwell or even Rashid, especially as any of these three would offer substantially more with the bat and in the field.
Owais Shah and Ravi Bopara lie on the cusp of selection, but it is difficult to imagine either getting a run in the Test side without injuries to some of the more established players. Thus, even though a 26 man EPS has been named, England's side is reasonably well settled, and the competition for places is very healthy, particularly amongst the seam bowlers.
England will hope to be more dominant and assertive against New Zealand this time around, although South Africa will pose a far more serious challenge. The Proteas' pace attack is one to be feared, with Dale Steyn becoming more dangerous by the series, Makyha Ntini still a force to be reckoned with and Morne Morkel consistently bowling close to 90mph. Moreover South Africa's batting line up has been firing lately with Neil McKenzie enjoying a renaissance and Hashim Amla finally reproducing his domestic form on the International arena Graeme Smith and Jaques Kallis are seriously class acts and Mark Boucher and AB de Villiers will make consistent contributions in the middle order. England will need to be at their best if they are to compete and consistently so. The first step towards consistent performances is sending out an unchanged side, consistently, enabling the team to bond and develop an understanding as per the 2005 Ashes.
On a finishing note it is interesting to observe two notable omissions from the EPS, Simon Jones has become somewhat of a forgotten man during his recovery from injury, but this author would suggest that he can be a bowler of international class again, while the other man to miss out is the one and only Mr Mark Ramprakash, who, rather inevitably opened his 2008 Championship account with a patient century.
Monday, 14 April 2008
My Five to Watch
Here in my first year as a cricket blogger I am going to pick five players from the county scene and tell you to watch out for them season. I am not going to look just at young players, but perhaps the older players who have not shone yet – or maybe even an old pro, who may have the season of a career. As my interest is generally in the domestic game, I am going to stick to that.
1) Rikki Clarke (Derbys) – having been essentially a fringe player at Surrey for a few years, Clarke finally looked to have pushed into the first XI last season, however, he ended up playing only 10 championship matches. Having finally accepted his medium pace bowling is never going to be a threat, he appears to be concentrating on his batting. However, an average of only 23 was not good enough to keep him at Surrey – and the revolution that is Derbyshire quickly snapped him up. I see a fruitful season ahead for him, named as captain and likely to have no issues over selection, this could be a big season for the perennial underachiever.
2) Steven Finn (Middx) – perhaps a predictable one this, but you just cannot ignore a 6’ 8” fast bowler! Having already played 5 first class matches and boasting a highly impressive bowling average of 20.50 (16 wickets) this could be a big season for the young Londoner. He probably won’t be in the first XI at the start of the season, but expect to see his name around, and he is my pick to emulate JAR Harris of Glamorgan as young player of the year.
3) Of all of the new signings this winter, one has hardly managed to bat any eyelids at all – but could indeed be one of the shrewdest acquisitions of them all. William Porterfield has finally made the step into county cricket and I would not be surprised to see him finish near the top of the batting averages come September. Boasting a highly impressive set of averages – ODI – 59.92 (how many England players can say that); first class – 47.13 – he certainly has pedigree. I really admire Gloucestershire for taking this gamble and it is one I fully expect to pay off – especially look out for him in the one day competitions.
4) James Tredwell (Kent) – I saw Tredwell in a T20 game at Notts last season and his economic 4 overs really impressed me. The off spinner, who can also bat more than a bit, took 36 wickets at 35 last season, and I can see this getting better as he gains more experience. Never mentioned in the same breath as the words ‘England’ and ‘No. 8’, Tredwell will keep plugging away this season – do not be surprised to see him top 50 wickets this season.
5) Finally, and predictably enough, I have to include a Worcestershire player, and I am going to go for Simon Jones. This is a really big year for ‘Jonah’. He has made the break from his home county, and perhaps the break will do him the world of good. He has wintered well and if he stays fit all season he will be pushing the 75 wicket mark on a relatively new, green track at New Road. That is a heck of an ‘if’ though and it is without doubt a risk from a county that is already in some serious financial problems after the floods of 2007. All of that said however, England play the first Ashes test of 2009 at Sophia Gardens. . . incentive if ever there was any. . .
1) Rikki Clarke (Derbys) – having been essentially a fringe player at Surrey for a few years, Clarke finally looked to have pushed into the first XI last season, however, he ended up playing only 10 championship matches. Having finally accepted his medium pace bowling is never going to be a threat, he appears to be concentrating on his batting. However, an average of only 23 was not good enough to keep him at Surrey – and the revolution that is Derbyshire quickly snapped him up. I see a fruitful season ahead for him, named as captain and likely to have no issues over selection, this could be a big season for the perennial underachiever.
2) Steven Finn (Middx) – perhaps a predictable one this, but you just cannot ignore a 6’ 8” fast bowler! Having already played 5 first class matches and boasting a highly impressive bowling average of 20.50 (16 wickets) this could be a big season for the young Londoner. He probably won’t be in the first XI at the start of the season, but expect to see his name around, and he is my pick to emulate JAR Harris of Glamorgan as young player of the year.
3) Of all of the new signings this winter, one has hardly managed to bat any eyelids at all – but could indeed be one of the shrewdest acquisitions of them all. William Porterfield has finally made the step into county cricket and I would not be surprised to see him finish near the top of the batting averages come September. Boasting a highly impressive set of averages – ODI – 59.92 (how many England players can say that); first class – 47.13 – he certainly has pedigree. I really admire Gloucestershire for taking this gamble and it is one I fully expect to pay off – especially look out for him in the one day competitions.
4) James Tredwell (Kent) – I saw Tredwell in a T20 game at Notts last season and his economic 4 overs really impressed me. The off spinner, who can also bat more than a bit, took 36 wickets at 35 last season, and I can see this getting better as he gains more experience. Never mentioned in the same breath as the words ‘England’ and ‘No. 8’, Tredwell will keep plugging away this season – do not be surprised to see him top 50 wickets this season.
5) Finally, and predictably enough, I have to include a Worcestershire player, and I am going to go for Simon Jones. This is a really big year for ‘Jonah’. He has made the break from his home county, and perhaps the break will do him the world of good. He has wintered well and if he stays fit all season he will be pushing the 75 wicket mark on a relatively new, green track at New Road. That is a heck of an ‘if’ though and it is without doubt a risk from a county that is already in some serious financial problems after the floods of 2007. All of that said however, England play the first Ashes test of 2009 at Sophia Gardens. . . incentive if ever there was any. . .
Wednesday, 9 April 2008
2008 Season Preview: Kent
Continuing our series of county previews, here is an assessment of Kent's chances in 2008.
2007 in a Nutshell:
Limited overs cricket was the obvious success for Kent last season. Winning the Twenty20 Cup was a huge achievement for the players with Rob Key playing a hugely important role as captain and premier batsman. The club performed well in the Friends Provident without being brilliant, and in a very competitive and tight Division 2 in the Pro 40, not gaining promotion was a disappointment, especially after winning the Twenty20. In the County Championship, relegation was just avoided and winning only 3 games showed that the side lacked firepower with the ball. As a whole, apart from winning some silverware, the season was a slight disappointment, with too many players underperforming.
2008 Prospects
With very few players arriving or leaving in preseason, Director of Cricket Graham Ford has shown faith with the majority of the current playing staff. Players such as Darren Stevens and Geraint Jones need to score more runs more consistently this year, but more importantly, a decent, penetrative bowling attack needs to be established. Quite simply, not enough wickets were taken last year - the top two wicket takers (McLaren and Tredwell) only took 80 between them, but that could change this year with the fit again Amjad Khan set to spearhead the attack. Allrounders are in abundance at the St. Lawrence ground in 2008, with the addition of Azhar Mahmood and Justin Kemp, providing the latter's ban (due to participation in the rebel ICL) is lifted, which would perhaps suggest that the squad is geared towards further success in one day cricket. Primarily, Kemp will provide destructive hitting with the bat, as he proved in his first spell with the club and Mahmood will provide needed control with the ball. Overseas pro Yasir Arafat was average last year with the ball and more will be needed from him.
So what can Kent fans hope for in 2008? In the County Championship, the season will perhaps be much of the same as last year, if the bowling attack does not improve. If Kent's bowlers can take wickets regularly this year, a top 4 or 5 finish is a realistic aim. In the limited overs competitions, promotion from Division 2 of the Pro 40 should be approached as a must, while defence of the Twenty20 title will prove to be very tough. A quarter-final appearance in the Friends Provident is also achievable.
Batting:
Scoring runs was not really a problem for Kent last year, with 43 bonus points gained with the bat, only bettered by Yorkshire in the division. All of the top four averaged over 40 in the CC in 2007 and 19 hundreds were scored between the top six, an impressive record. It wasn't only the top six that scored runs however, messrs Arafat, Tredwell and McLaren scored vital runs down the order. James Tredwell also showed how versatile and competent he is with the bat in filling in for Matt Walker at number four, in the process scoring an amazing hundred against Yorkshire, to save the game at Tunbridge Wells. Martin Van Jaarsveld will be as consistent and solid as ever at number three, but Darren Stevens needs to still fulfill his undoubted potential, even at the now latter stage of his career. ECB National Academy opener Joe Denly and England hopeful Rob Key were nothing short of superb at the top of the order last year, with the formers debut full season unfortunately tailing away in the second half of the campaign. Ex-England keeper Geraint Jones didn't perform as was expected last year and if Justin Kemp returns, he will probably find himself batting at number seven this yearThe massively talented 18 year old Sam Northeast will get more opportunities this year to score first class runs, and in Neil Dexter Kent have a highly capable and classy middle order batsman waiting in the wings.
2007 in a Nutshell:
Limited overs cricket was the obvious success for Kent last season. Winning the Twenty20 Cup was a huge achievement for the players with Rob Key playing a hugely important role as captain and premier batsman. The club performed well in the Friends Provident without being brilliant, and in a very competitive and tight Division 2 in the Pro 40, not gaining promotion was a disappointment, especially after winning the Twenty20. In the County Championship, relegation was just avoided and winning only 3 games showed that the side lacked firepower with the ball. As a whole, apart from winning some silverware, the season was a slight disappointment, with too many players underperforming.
2008 Prospects
So what can Kent fans hope for in 2008? In the County Championship, the season will perhaps be much of the same as last year, if the bowling attack does not improve. If Kent's bowlers can take wickets regularly this year, a top 4 or 5 finish is a realistic aim. In the limited overs competitions, promotion from Division 2 of the Pro 40 should be approached as a must, while defence of the Twenty20 title will prove to be very tough. A quarter-final appearance in the Friends Provident is also achievable.
Batting:
Scoring runs was not really a problem for Kent last year, with 43 bonus points gained with the bat, only bettered by Yorkshire in the division. All of the top four averaged over 40 in the CC in 2007 and 19 hundreds were scored between the top six, an impressive record. It wasn't only the top six that scored runs however, messrs Arafat, Tredwell and McLaren scored vital runs down the order. James Tredwell also showed how versatile and competent he is with the bat in filling in for Matt Walker at number four, in the process scoring an amazing hundred against Yorkshire, to save the game at Tunbridge Wells. Martin Van Jaarsveld will be as consistent and solid as ever at number three, but Darren Stevens needs to still fulfill his undoubted potential, even at the now latter stage of his career. ECB National Academy opener Joe Denly and England hopeful Rob Key were nothing short of superb at the top of the order last year, with the formers debut full season unfortunately tailing away in the second half of the campaign. Ex-England keeper Geraint Jones didn't perform as was expected last year and if Justin Kemp returns, he will probably find himself batting at number seven this yearThe massively talented 18 year old Sam Northeast will get more opportunities this year to score first class runs, and in Neil Dexter Kent have a highly capable and classy middle order batsman waiting in the wings.
Bowling:
The area that must improve if Kent are to even think about having a better season in the four day game. Kent fans can look forward to witnessing the talented Amjad Khan back in the side and if he can recapture the form that got him England 'A' recognition, the Kent bowling attack will be led impressively. As mentioned before, Yasir Arafat will have to show his worth with the ball as the overseas player and on the basis that Kemp will sign, he will be a very handy change bowler. Ryan McLaren was very impressive last year and he will hope to carry on in that vein. Martin Saggers will use all his knowledge and experience with the new ball when he plays whilst James Tredwell will bowl a lot of overs with his off-spinners. One definite worry however is the lack of spin bowling options in reserve if Tredwell were to get injured. With the legendary Min Patel retiring there is no obvious replacement and whilst Denly's leggy's are improving, they are nowhere near good enough to be used as a genuine, consistent threat.
Robert Joseph and Simon Cook will be used as backups throughout the season, but Cook will play a lot more limited overs games as he is a very canny and useful operator, especially with the keeper up to the stumps. Add to that Azhar Mahmood, who will probably be in and out of the CC side, but a regular fixture in one day competitions and on paper the Kent bowling unit certainly looks effective, without being imperious, but can they perform this season?
Probable sides:
Championship
Denly
Key *
Van Jaarsveld
Walker
Stevens
Kemp (assuming his ban is overturned)
Jones +
Arafat
Tredwell
McLaren
Khan
Saggers and Mahmood will replace anyone in this side with a re-jig of the batting order if needed. Assuming the batsmen will fire once again, the bowlers have to make sure they perform as well to give the team as good a chance as possible to win games - after all, 20 wickets need to be taken to win a CC game.
One-day and Twenty20
Denly
Key *
Van Jaarsveld
Walker
Stevens
Kemp (assuming his ban is overturned)
Jones +
Arafat
McLaren
Tredwell
Khan
Kent often try and make use of the early fielding restrictions so expect to see one of a number of pinch hitters being used at 3 or 4, depending on who's playing of course. Cook, Mahmood and Dexter will play a lot of one day games as this side will constantly be shuffled around. Don't hold your breath with regards to seeing the rather large frame of Matt Walker playing a lot of one day games as it is his benefit year. Also, someone like Dexter is better suited to modern one day cricket as he bats, bowls and fields. Matty Walker probably has just the one discipline to offer.
Key Man:
It's really hard to look beyond the immensely gifted Robert Key. With a Test double hundred to his name, an average of nearly 57 for 2007, and the fact he's the skipper, it's plain to see how vitally important he is to the side. He will have hopes of regaining a place in the England Test Team and will want to put pressure on the likes of Strauss and Bell by scoring a sack full of runs. Amjad Khan will be very important with the new ball as the spearhead of the attack, with his venomous away swingers and as the season progresses and the pitches dry, Tredwell will become more of a threat.
Rising Star:
With no one in the side being an unknown quantity this year, picking a rising star is difficult. Joe Denly is fairly comfortably the youngest member of the side but with his outstanding year last year, and touring with the England Academy, he could hardly be described as 'rising'. Whilst he may not play a huge amount of games, Sam Northeast has bags of potential to be a star. He made his first class debut in the last game of last season at just 17, but only managed a 5 and 0. At 13 years old, he scored 19 hundreds in a season for his school, averaging 291 and in 2006 he played against the then touring Sri Lankans for a Sir JP Getty XI. Graham Ford witnessed his innings of 62 not out with great pleasure and commented, "There were two moments that stood out: firstly when he came down the wicket to on-drive Muralitharan for four, then when he rocked on to the back foot to force a decent length ball from Nuwan Zoysa through extra cover. They were flashes of class." It's clear to see that this mercurial talent has a wonderful future ahead of him, let's hope we can witness it this year!
Captain and Coach:
Graham Ford showed how much potential he thinks the club has when he turned down the chance to be coach of India. Whilst the pressures of the India job would be incredible, the lure of it must have been very hard to resist and Ford should be commended on his loyalty and obvious desire to help Kent CCC progress. He seems to have a good relationship with Key, which is clearly very important and based on the success in the T20, something must be going right. County Championship performances need to improve this season and the club could have perhaps been a little more committed in adding players to the squad, as it does seem a little bare. Kent fans should have faith in the Ford-Key team however and it will be interesting to see how the season pans out for the south-east county.
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