Walker: It’s too early to call
Kent head coach Matt Walker says people can read too much in to positions in the South Group at the halfway stage of the Vitality Blast. Spitfires have enjoyed success during the first seven matches of the competition, picking up nine points. They face the bottom two sides of the group, in Essex at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, tonight (Thursday, 7pm) and Hampshire at the Ageas Bowl on Friday (7pm). Kent play the last of three games in the space of four days when they host Gloucestershire – the only side to beat them so far – at the Spitfire Ground on Sunday (3pm). Walker said: “It does not make any difference that they are at the bottom of the table. Both these sides will be thinking they can still qualify. “It can be dangerous when you play a side who have been struggling, as they need to win and can play with a bit more freedom. “It’s always a tough game against Essex. Sides can be out of it and get a run together and push themselves up to the top. “They have good players and we will have to be on it or they will catch us out. The rivalry is always there and in your face and it will be a tough challenge. “Hampshire are always tough to beat at home. In the game at Beckenham we just came out on top and they will be looking to get one back on us.” It has been a frustrating two weeks for Kent as their last three T20 matches have been postponed due to the weather. The home matches against Surrey and Sussex were called off after 20 and 11.2 overs respectively while their game at Glamorgan on Sunday was abandoned without a ball being bowled. Walker said: “It has been a weird three games in many ways. We have been surrounded by beautiful weather for some time and then we’ve had three T20s called off. It has followed us around a little bit. “You want to keep playing T20s and get in that momentum. “It has been a disappointing week or so and you can’t do much about it. “We have come away with three points and it’s not the end of the world. If you are at the top of the table, sometimes it does not hurt you that much as teams don’t catch up with you. “We want to keep creating the distance at the top but you can see the last three games as a win, a tie and a defeat.”