Leaning keen to get going

Jack Leaning wants Kent to pick up where they left off at the start of the new campaign.

They have been slow starters in recent years but finished fifth in County Championship Division 1 in 2022, despite being dogged by the fear of relegation for much of the season, having won their final two fixtures against Hampshire and Somerset. But unlike in previous years, skipper Sam Billings will be available to start their season. And batting allrounder Leaning reckons Matt Walker’s team could be a force to be reckoned with if they can get their start right. “We’ve struggled notoriously at the start of the season in previous years but then we’ve always come good under pressure at the end,” said Leaning. “It’snotacaseofusnot knowing how to do it. Hopefully this year, with us having a full contingent of players that can ensure we can have a good start. “Hopefully, we can take the form we had at the backend of the year against Hampshire and Somerset. We actually had a depleted squad and some lads away with England but we won two games out of two.

“If we play with that sort of attitude and that sort of togetherness as a team, I see us being a force to be reckoned with.” There’s plenty of competition in Kent’s batting department but Leaning has become a key player since he joined in 2019.

“It’s good to have a little bit of competition,” he noted. “It means you can’t rest on your laurels and you have to keep performing, which is always good.

“But the one thing that’s good about us as a group - whether it’s batters or bowlers - is that willingness to do better than the bloke sitting next to you.

“It’s never the case of anyone wishing anyone else to fail so you can get in. I think that’s really important in creating a team vibe because it pushes each other to be better every day.” Another area where there is strength-in-depth is with spin bowlers after last season’s impressive form of Hamid Qadri and South African George Linde set to return, while both Joe Denly and Leaning are more than useful with the ball, too.

It could mean Bristolborn Leaning might have significantly less overs to get through - not that he’ll mind too much.

He said: “I’m happy to bowl but I’m also happy to watch those boys roll them out as well!”