Bernard: It’s starting to click in place

Kent paceman Hugh Bernard is staking a claim for a firstteam spot after showing the best form of his career with two five-wicket hauls in 2nd XI Championship wins. The Canterbury-born 20-year-old Kent Cricket Academy graduate took 5-72 at Glamorgan last month and followed it up with a superb 5-20 in 8.5 overs against Surrey at The County Ground, Beckenham, last week. Bernard has taken 17 red-ball wickets at an average of 20 this summer and said: “It has all clicked into place in recent matches. “I have played a lot of red-ball cricket for the 2nds and put in a lot of hard work to improve my bowling. I need to keep being consistent and focus on a good line and length.” Bernard made his first team debut in the Specsavers County Championship Division 2 match against Glamorgan at Canterbury last summer and although he took three wickets, he incurred the wrath of umpires by running on to the pitch in his follow through. He said: “I did a lot of work in the winter on my approach to the wicket and have hopefully solved that problem. Mark Ealham has helped me a lot with it and Jason Gillespie also gave me some sound advice. “I will just keep plugging away and hope another first team chance comes my way.”