Still time to make impact

KENT CRICKET - pages 78-79

James Tredwell says Kent’s fringe players can enhance their chances of earning new deals with the club with strong performances over the closing five weeks of the season.

The Kent skipper says he doesn’t expect ‘drastic changes’ on the playing front this close season and said it’s not too late for players to stake a claim for an extended stay at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence.

He said: “We want to finish the season strongly in all forms of the game. Cricket is a team game but it’s largely about individual performances, it’s one man battling against another out there.

“If someone can do something eye-opening with bat or ball in the coming games, then it will certainly put them at the forefront of our thoughts looking ahead to next season.”

He added: “We are starting to look forward to the winter and next year but not many decisions have been made at this stage. We don’t want to make decisions too early.

“There are four or five games left and plenty of time left for players to show what they can do – whether that’s in the first team or the 2nds – and put forward their cases for selection.

“A double-hundred here or a seven-for there can really get you noticed in 1st or 2nd XI cricket.

“It all gets noted down and goes towards helping make the decisions. I don’t necessarily see there being any drastic changes in the squad this winter.”

Kent remain third bottom of Division 2 of the LV= County Championship but only 30 points behind third-placed visitors Gloucestershire, who kicked-off Canterbury Cricket Week at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence yesterday (Wednesday).

Nottinghamshire Outlaws are the visitors in the final Yorkshire Bank 40 game of the season at Canterbury on Monday (1.45pm).

Kent can no longer qualify for the semi-finals of the competition after losing to Warwickshire last Thursday in a game which was curtailed due to a floodlight failure.

Tredwell bemoans ‘freakish’ nature of defeat – page 78.

Pictures: Barry Goodwin Nash endured mixed fortunes during the opening day of the 162nd Canterbury Cricket Week yesterday (Wednesday). The former West Indies international batsman was bowled by Liam Norwell for just 14 as Kent made a slow start to the game against...