WALKER BLASTS PLAYERS AFTER HEAVY CHAMPIONSHIP LOSS
Kent assistant coach Matt Walker didn’t mince his words following the humiliating eight-wicket defeat against Northamptonshire in the LV= County Championship Division 2 clash at Wantage Road on Monday. The game was over inside two days following Saturday’s washout and leaves Kent bottom after a third consecutive defeat. Kent were dismissed for 140 and 151 and both in under 40 overs, with opener Joe Denly’s 39 in the second innings, the best of two dismal batting displays. Walker said the performance was simply not acceptable.
He said: “We got what we
Kdeserved. It was embarrassing – plain and simple.
“We expect so much more from this unit because it is a talented one but they are currently way off producing what is required. Northamptonshire outplayed us in every department.
“The wicket wasn’t the best but that’s certainly no excuse. Both teams had to bat on it and we just didn’t do the basics right.
“We’ve got to start showing a lot more fight and guts when the going gets tough because there is no hiding place in this game and you get found out.”
Jimmy Adams’ right-hand man said there was no long inquisition after the game into what went drastically wrong.
Walker said: “It was a short talk with them (the players).
“They are hurting after what ent wicket-keeper Sam Billings said being part of England’s 3-2 Royal London OneDay Series triumph over New Zealand had been a phenomenal experience. Billings, 23, hit a vital 41 as England clinched the series in Durham on Saturday. Playing purely as a batsman, Billings added: “The longer this series has gone on I’ve just focused on doing what I do for Kent and it’s been fine.” He made just three on his international debut at Edgbaston but followed that up with knocks of 12 and 34, while he was not required to bat during the eight-wicket win at Trent Bridge. “(At) Edgbaston, I felt like I’d been hit by a bus to be honest,” said Billings. “It was an emotional rollercoaster. “All of a sudden you play around a straight one and you’re sitting there with your pads off so it puts it in perspective.” Billings scored 21 from 11 balls during England’s T20 international 56-run win over New Zealand at Old Trafford on Tuesday. With one eye on the one-day action at the end of the forthcoming Ashes series, Billings said: “Hopefully, the positive cricket and vibe around the team can be taken forward into the Ashes and the one-day team when we meet against Australia.” happened – we all are. Now it’s up to them to respond and start performing like we know they can.”
Northamptonshire needed just 46 to win, something they took just nine overs to do.
Earlier, Kent were dismissed for 140 in their first innings on Sunday before fighting back to restrict Northamptonshire to 1937.
After losing openers Denly (8) and Daniel Bell-Drummond (12) early, Kent were well placed at 93-2 10 minutes before lunch.
That all changed within the space of 19 balls with Rob Key (35), Sam Northeast (36), Darren Stevens (0) and James Tredwell (0) all departing for the addition of four runs.
Forty-four balls after lunch, Kent were all-out with Muhammed Azharullah (5-31) and Rory Kleinveldt (5-41) leading the carnage.
Richard Levi top scored in Northants’ reply as they made 246 with Matt Coles (4-83) and Stevens (3-56) among the wickets.
Kent failed to improve in their second innings as Olly Stone took a career-best 5-44 for the hosts.
Kleinveldt (3-44) and Muhammed Azharullah (2-16) were again in the wickets with only BellDrummond (10) and Stevens (28) joining Denly in double figures as Kent left Northants with a simple chase.