Gidman wants to do himself justice

Will Gidman is determined to bounce back after describing the summer of 2017 as the first ‘completely bad’ season of his career. Gidman was an instant hit when he signed for Kent on loan towards the end of the 2016 campaign but by his own admission failed to do himself justice last season. The 33-year-old former Durham, Gloucestershire and Nottinghamshire all-rounder mustered just 236 runs in eight matches (one fifty, average 16.85) and claimed just five wickets at a cost of 46. He admits he is still at a loss to explain why things went so disappointingly but he has now drawn a line under it. Left-hander Gidman said: “I just want to play some good cricket again. I will always be about the team and I want us as a group to have huge success but from a personal point of view, I want to do myself justice and play at a good standard again. “I’m just going to put it down to one of those seasons where things didn’t quite click. You start thinking about it and worrying about it, what’s going on etc, and then before you know it you’re in a deep hole that you can’t quite get out of. “That’s the first completely bad season of my career. I know I’m an all-rounder but with my batter’s head on, all batters go through dips in form. “I don’t think even the greats have gone through a whole career without a dip in form and I’m no different. But that for me personally was my first entire season where things didn’t happen. “There were net sessions where I felt a million dollars but I just couldn’t get it right in the middle. I’ve got to try and put it to one side and concentrate on this season.” Gidman is feeling refreshed after a good winter and while he would have liked more runs in Antigua where Kent reached the semi-finals of the West Indies Regional Super50 Cup, his bowling looks in good fettle. The right-arm seamer took a List A career-best of 4-20 against Guyana having earlier claimed 3-31 against the Leeward Islands. He added: “The bowling went pretty well and I just want to remind myself that I can perform at the highest level with the ball. I miss taking wickets, I miss contributing. “It’s been such a massive part of my career I just don’t want it to drift off, so it’s a real focus for me to start contributing again with the ball.”