Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Crucial stage of season
Kent skipper Sam Northeast admits his side are entering a potentially season-defining phase of the season – but he claims it’s what he and his squad play the game for.
The Spitfires have kept their hopes of a Natwest T20 Blast quarter-final alive with consecutive away wins and know victories in their last three games – starting in tomorrow (Friday’s) clash with Surrey at Tunbridge Wells – would almost certainly ensure a last-eight berth.
On Sunday, Kent also return to red-ball action with the sting of the 10-wicket loss at Specsavers County Championship Division 2 title rivals Essex last week
Pstill apparent. Northeast said: “We’ve been playing some good cricket in the Championship, every team loses games and we have to move on. It was a blip.
“We still have six games – four of them at home – and hopefully we can take advantage of that. If we can win three or four and Essex lose one, then who knows?
“Every game at this point is a big game, in all competitions. It’s a crucial stage of the season.”
In the T20 format, Northeast admitted: “We have not played as well as we expected to this season but we are still alive.
“Those two wins set us up nicely with everything still to play for and two games against out old foes Surrey. I guess it is ideal for the punters and the club office and as players you always want to be involved in games that mean something – it’s what you play the game for.
“Last year Lancashire lost their opening four games but finished strong and carried that on into the knockout stages.
“If we could finish with five straight wins, I think that would be enough. I think last year 14 points was enough to qualify and it might be that with 10 points already, two wins and a washout or something might do it.”
They are likely to have to do it without Matt Coles who Northeast revealed remains under the charge of Kent physio Nimmo Reid after his internal disciplinary issues and will likely be unavailable for selection for at least a couple more weeks.
Northeast admitted: “We are a few bowlers short at the moment. Ivan Thomas and Matt Hunn have had knocks, Callum Haggett (ankle) is still two or three weeks away and we likely won’t see Colesy for a couple of weeks.”
Another missing on Friday is Tom Latham who has joined up with New Zealand’s tour of Africa after learning he would not be in the side on Sunday with Kent opting for Kagiso Rabada as their one overseas. Callum Jackson will again deputise for Sam Billings who is on England Lions duty with Daniel BellDrummond the next 10 days although both could play against Surrey.