Kent Messenger Maidstone

Hundred excites Walker

Cricket

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personal point of view I’m very excited.

“It will be a great experience and when it comes around I think the competitio­n will actually be quite exciting. “People will start to embrace it. I’m very pleased and grateful to be a part of it. “It’s new. You can be afraid of it and I think people are, it’s obviously another competitio­n that will affect another competitio­n during the season, but when something is new it does excite me.”

An intriguing aspect to the new tournament will be the introducti­on of a player draft, which will take inspiratio­n from US sports in seeing teams select from a pool of players.

The draft itself is due to take place on October 20.

Walker added: “I think the draft should provide some excitement and interest in how that develops. It will provide a sense of entertainm­ent I think.

“First time round it will take some working out with how to go about it. We aren’t quite sure exactly how it’s going to be done yet but it will be very interestin­g to see it in operation.

“It’s happening and that’s the bottom line. You can eitherembr­aceitorbea­gainst it, it depends on how you look at it.

“Certainly being involved in it, I’m looking forward to everything about it.” Walker is hoping to see a number of Kent players involved in the draft, with Joe Denly and Sam Billings having been overlooked by the Oval franchise in favour of Surrey’s Jason Roy and Tom Curran as the two icon players.

He explained: “I think there is a desire to try and keep that Kent and Surrey feel within the franchise.

“I know the two icon players are from Surrey and then obviously Sam Curran is the contracted player so there is quite a strong Surrey feel.

“It would be nice to see some Kent players in there, I know there are certainly a number of players that would be very strong picks from Kent.” Louise Cook was just happy to be back racing after finishing last in her 13th World Rally event.

Maidstone driver Cook, returning after a year out, nursed her Ford Fiesta home at the Wales Rally GB last weekend having suffered a number of mechanical problems.

She said: “Sunday was about being drama-free and to finish the event for the second time. “We had had enough dramas for one rally, so to make any silly mistakes would have just been too disappoint­ing.

“I drove accordingl­y. It’s never nice to not fully attack the

 ??  ?? Louise Cook returned to rallying after a year out at the Wales Rally GB
Louise Cook returned to rallying after a year out at the Wales Rally GB
 ?? Picture: Ady Kerry ?? Matt Walker says people should embrace The Hundred
Picture: Ady Kerry Matt Walker says people should embrace The Hundred

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