Monday 23 April 2012

So we're not supposed to celebrate draws now?

Kent 150 (W Gidman 5-43) and 94 for 2 drew with Gloucestershire 255 and 257 for 7 dec.

The Jessop Tavern View was rather surprised to read some surprisingly downbeat match reports after rain curtailed the final day at Canterbury, with Kent on 94-2. This draw leaves the boys 3rd in the table with 33 points from our opening three fixtures of the season. In case you missed it before, all three matches were away from Nevil Road.

We're pretty happy with 33 points from three, considering that the first game was a comprehensive spanking from Essex inside three days. To recap, Gloucestershire dominated for much of the match and were unlucky to lose a frontline bowler as well as see rain take time out of the game. The pitch flattening out as the match wore on didn't help either.

The day began with Glos batting on from 191-3 and taking their second innings score up to 257-7. The skipper struck a six of Davies before falling LBW to Matt Coles and Ian Cockbain fell in the same manner. Hamish Marshall scored a much-needed 74, his highest score in the County Championship since July 2010 (that is a terrible statistic), before being run out by Brendan Nash. This knock will likely secure his place for the rest of the season, as the 'shire have a small squad, a fact noted by King John after the match. He cautioned that such a small and youthful squad can ill-afford injuries such as the side strain which could keep David Payne out for a few weeks.

Worryingly, the arrival of one man who could strengthen the squad, gym instructor Kane Williamson, may again be delayed by visa issues. There remains the possibility that he may not arrive in time for the Glamorgan game starting at Bristol on Thursday. You would have though the club's administrators would have learned their lesson from last year's visa debacle. We then realised that we are talking about Gloucestershire, a county who based their entire financial future on gaining planning permission for a massive block of flats which no-one (especially the local council) wanted.

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