More focus in field required

Alex Blake believes Kent need to improve their fielding during the Royal London OneDay Cup campaign.

There was a noticeable difference between the Spitfires and visitors Hampshire in the field during Sunday’s clash at Beckenham. And Blake, who has captained the side in the absence of the injured Joe Denly, revealed it was the subject of dressingroom discussion immediately after Kent’s fate was sealed in a 163-run defeat.

“There’s a lot of room for improvement on the fielding,” said Blake. “I can’t really put a finger on it. We spoke about trying to anticipate a bit better and read the game situation. “At the start they seemed to keep getting singles at will, it’s about squeezing that initial phase, if you’re on the boundary try and save twos. “It’s more an anticipation thing for me, it’s not a skill element, it’s about reading the game better and being proactive rather than reactive. “You can train as much as you want, do as many catches or ground fielding (drills) as you want but you’ve got to read the game better.

“They did it really well, Hampshire squeezed and didn’t give us anything in the ring and you do feel it as a batter.

“As a fielding unit we need to improve there to back up the bowlers. It’s hard enough on a good deck at Beckenham when you haven’t got the fielders behind you.”

Kent were due to practice under the lights at Canterbury last night (Wednesday) ahead of today’s day-night clash with Essex at Chelmsford.

They look set to welcome back Denly as captain after a back injury while Grant Stewart only featured as a batsman against Hampshire due to an Achilles problem and is out of the Essex game alongside fellow all-rounders Darren Stevens and George Linde. Spitfires will host Northamptonshire at Canterbury on Sunday (11am) and then travel to Derbyshire on Wednesday (11am).