Harmison keen to shine

BEN HARMISON wants to take advantage of his recall to the Kent side and make the place his own.

The former Durham man played 11 Championship games after arriving at the St Lawrence Ground for the 2012 season – averaging just 21 runs – while he failed to bat in three appearances in the 40-over competition.

However, after impressing with the bat in a pre-season game at Hampshire and a century for the 2nds in a friendly, Harmison was recalled to the set-up for the Yorkshire Bank 40 game against Notts at Trent Bridge, making an unbeaten 33 to help Kent set a competitive target in a rain-affected defeat.

He followed it up with appearances against The Netherlands and Worcestershire Royals before the LV= County Championship Division 2 thrashing by Worcestershire, during which he top scored with 19 in the second innings.

The 27-year-old said: “I was disappointed not to be in the first team at the start of the season. I’d felt good in pre-season and scored some runs early but I don’t need people coming to me to tell me to work hard. I do that anyway and I’ve worked hard to get back in.”

“It’s looking like I’m batting at five but my ideal role is the all-rounder role, batting at six and bowling first or second change. I had a bit of a shoulder injury but I am fit again and back bowling.”

Despite back-to-back home defeats in the championship, he said: “It’s still early in the season and spirits are still high.

“One-day has been good so far. We need to try and take confidence from that into the championship.

“In the last couple of games we’ve faced a couple of bowlers in Trent Copeland and Alan Richardson who have gone through the side and the difference is we’ve not done that ourselves.

“Saturday was embarrassing and the fans let us know how they felt. They had every right to say it. It wasn’t good enough.

“It will be nice to get away and Essex this week is a different pitch. It’s been tricky batting at Canterbury, the pitch has had a bit of nip in it.”