Kent hit rock bottom
SKIPPER TREDWELL SAYS ‘WE WILL NOT JUMP IN TOO QUICK’ AFTER ST LAWRENCE DEBACLE
KENT skipper James Tredwell admitted the squad had “held inquests” into the capitulation which led to their lowest first- class score for 31 years during a 10-wicket defeat to Worcestershire on Saturday. Kent remain winless and are bottom of LV= County Championship Division 2 after a second straight home game which failed to go the distance, with their second innings total of 63 their lowest score since 1982 when Nottinghamshire skittled them for 57.
Tredwell admitted: “It’s tough to start the season in poor fashion. It’s not been a great start but it’s tough to put your finger on what exactly happened.
“We have held inquests, although we’re not going to talk about them in public.
“Having played pretty well in the one- day games, we were disappointed in the last two championship scores, particularly the second innings.
“We have bowled pretty well but the problem has been with the bat. We’ll not jump in too quick. We have good players, we have faith in them and believe in them but need to improve.”
Matt Coles took 5-31 for Kent but only six players reached double figures with the bat as seamer Alan Richardson took 10 wickets in a game for only the third time in his career, with 7-22 in 14.3 overs as Kent folded on the afternoon of day two.
Richardson took 5-41 in the first innings as Kent collapsed from 35-0 to 65-5 and then from 90-5 to 94-8.
Only Mark Davies’ 40 in 51 balls helped them to 159, although Sam Northeast (52) had earlier scored his first half-century of the season although only Geraint Jones (16) of the recognised batsmen joined him in double figures.
Davies took two early wickets in Worcestershire’s reply. However, two half-century partnerships helped them to a first-innings lead of 35 runs. Moeen Ali scored 54 but it was Coles’ five-wicket haul that kept the hosts in the game.
However, any hopes of a challenging target were over by tea as Richardson got to work.
Ben Harmison, making his first championship appearance of the season in place of the injured Daniel Bell- Drummond, top scored with 19 and Jones made 11 but wickets fell at regular intervals.