Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Spitfire Ground set to welcome Caribbean flair
KENT SKIPPER VOWS TO STAY AND BUILD A SIDE CAPABLE OF WINNING DIVISION 2 NEXT SEASON
Kent will again face international opposition next summer after it was revealed that West Indies will play a tourist match at Canterbury. The Windies will face Kent in a three-day match at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence from Sunday, August 6 until Tuesday, August 8, with the club keen to make it part of the 166th Canterbury Cricket Week. Kent head coach Jimmy Adams, a former West Indies Test captain, has been tipped to replaced Phil Simmons, axed as national coach two weeks ago, although he is reportedly not interested in the role and plans talks with the Kent hierachy when he returns from compassionate leave in the Caribbean. It is not just the Windies who will be heading to the city next summer. England Lions will again be in action in Canterbury when they host South Africa A in a four-day A Test at The Spitfire Ground from June 21-24. Kent Cricket chief executive Jamie Clifford said: “We’re delighted to welcome the West Indies to The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, next summer. “We have a proud history of Caribbean cricketers at the club including John Shepherd, Bernard Julien, Eldine Baptiste and Carl Hooper, so to welcome the exciting West Indies to Canterbury will be a great occasion for our supporters.” Tickets will go on sale early next year but fans can ensure seats now by buying a membership or ticket package at www. kentcricketshop.co.uk Mr Clifford added: “Memberships and ticket packages are already selling well on the back of an encouraging season and we hope to see lots of new and old faces for a fantastic occasion.” The full county fixture list for 2017 will be announced later this year with the Royal London One-day Cup held early in the season with the final at Lord’s on July 1 and the entire Natwest T20 Blast campaign taking place in July and August. Sam Northeast has dismissed speculation linking him with a move away from Kent and is determined to mould a side to win Division 2 next year.
Northeast admits Kent are entering an important winter as they await assurances over the future of head coach Jimmy Adams, linked with the West Indies coaching role and with Darren Stevens the subject of a rival contract offer from Sussex – although the captain laughed off reports linking him with a move to Somerset.
The Spitfires are also understood to have been invited to participate in a T20 competition in the Caribbean early in the new year.
Northeast revealed he was aware of speculation surrounding his future but added: “I am just focused on Kent. I have got another two years on my contract here and I’m looking for a new house. If I was to go anywhere else that would mean a hefty commute.”
He added: “We are on a good path and things are going in the right direction. We want to continue that progress this winter and me, Walks (assistant coach Matt Walker) and Jimmy will sit down and talk about what’s going to happen.
“It’s an important winter, we have to get our heads down, work hard and come back and win this division next year.”
Northeast hopes he can call on Stevens to help the cause, although the allrounder’s future remains uncertain. The 40-year-old is hoping for a multi-year deal to remain with Kent, although has a reputed white-ball contract offer on the table from Sussex with a pay-as-you-play Championship clause, too.
Northeast claimed: “It’s between him and the club. I’d love to have him but it’s not up to me.”
Northeast also hopes the club can strike deals with Will Gidman and Hardus Viljoen, adding: “I’d love to keep them, they have been fantastic.
“We recruited well in terms of overseas this year with Tom Latham, Kagiso Rabada and the club really backed us by getting Hardus in late in the year as we were going for the title.”
Kent had to settle for second place in the one year when it didn’t guarantee promotion to the top-flight, although Northeast added: “Looking back, it has been a pretty good year. Essex deserved to win it but we were definitely the second best team.
“Finishing second means you’re nearly there but you’re not. It was a bit like that in one-day cricket, as well.”
In the season finale, Northeast added an unbeaten 178 to previous scores of 191, 190, 189, and 166 not out this summer to finish with more than 2,000 runs in all competitions – although still not enough to earn an England Lions call-up.
He said: “It’s not my job to go to the selectors and ask what I have to do. It’s my job to bat well for Kent, win trophies and see what comes of that.
“I’d love to play for the Lions and England. It’s great to see Sam (Billings) and DBD (Daniel Bell-drummond) being recognised and they deserve it. I don’t know what more I have to do.”
‘I have got another two years on my contract here and I’m looking for a new house’