Walker: Runs will come

Kent coach Matt Walker has backed his top order to come good after a slow start to the season. England duo Zak Crawley and Joe Denly plus skipper Daniel Belldrummond have struggled for runs in the first two County Championship matches.

Crawley has averaged less than 13 while Denly and Bell-drummond both failed to build on good starts in the home defeat to Yorkshire last week.

Walker believes it is only a matter of time before they start to show their class this summer.

“They all look in great touch,” said Walker. “They have to work hard for their runs, it doesn’t just happen. They are all fine players and it’s only a matter of time before they click. “We’ve seen some signs – Zak in the second innings at Northants, Daniel throughout pre-season and Joe also. They are hungry and working very hard to get it right.

“It’s important because you need your top three or four to make some big scores. We can’t keep relying on the lower order.

“They are class acts, they will come good and hopefully sooner rather than later. There’s no pressure on them from me, they know their games inside out.”

Given their slow start to the season, Kent’s task is not likely to get any easier with England’s record wickettaker Jimmy Anderson expected to play for Lancashire at Canterbury from Thursday in the County Championship.

But Walker, who watched England captain Joe Root his a hundred for Yorkshire against Kent last week, insisted that his players want to play against the best players in the world. “It’s why these boys wanted to play Division 1 (before the change of structure) – to play against the best players,” he said. “You want to face the best.

“You don’t often get the opportunity to play versus Joe Root or Jimmy Anderson. It’s great to test yourself against the very best and if you do well, then it highlights your achievements.

“What an opportunity to face Jimmy Anderson. It will be tough, of course, he is a very fine bowler. But you’ve got to meet that challenge head on and really embrace it. What a great opportunity to play against one of the best ever.”

After going wicketless at Northants, Milnes was the pick of the Kent attack against Yorkshire as he took five wickets. But it was his batting that stood out, the nightwatchman nearly guiding Kent to an improbable draw on the final day. “When the dust settles and he reflects back he can be proud of that innings because it was high class against a good bowling attack which tested every part of his game,” said Walker.

“Matt is our nightwatchman and I said to him at the start of the year that there will be opportunities to show us what you can do.

“His goal this year is to score a hundred and some more opportunities will come. I think we will see more runs from him down the line.”

Picture: Ady Kerry Zak Crawley - has 39 runs to his name in four innings so far this summer