Kent v Derbyshire preview

Sunday and no cricket.

It's rubbish, it really is. I reckon that we need a modern day Leonard Sachs, the old compere from The Good Old Days, to sort out cricket for a Sunday on regular basis.

Tomorrow we play Kent in the Pro 40 and I know that they were in a Lords Final yesterday but one has to ask how many can go down there for a Monday afternoon game? I remember Derbyshire having to play a Sunday game after their Lords finals which can't have been fun with the inevitable hangovers, but there has to be a balance between supporting the players and playing fair by supporters (nice play on words there!)

The weather continue to be horrible and it will be interesting to see how it goes down in the "Garden of England" as they like to be known around those parts. Kent didn't really perform yesterday and Kemp, Mahmood and Arafat were all injury doubts prior to the game and presumably not at 100%. They are a talented unit and are well led by Robert Key.

Derbyshire are presumably going to go with the same side that played against Middlesex, unles one of the spinners comes in to replace Ian Hunter. There must be a temptation to rest Charl Langeveldt to ensure his knee niggle does not flare up to jeopardise our Championship hopes.

After two defeats in three matches, it is unlikely that we will be in the hunt for the Pro 40 and the South African is so important to this side that he may get a break, unless of course his knee problem has eased. It is unlikely that this willing workhorse would rest unless specifically asked to do so and I would expect to see something along these lines take the field down there:

Rogers
Birch
Hinds
Smith
Clarke
New
Wagg
Clare
Needham
Langeveldt
Dean

Paul Borrington is unlikely to feature and perhaps Dom Telo may be due a game, but Rikki Clarke's ankle problem makes him an unlikely bowler meaning a possible place for Kevin Dean.
I hope we continue our recent resurgence and give a good game to one of the better sides in the country. See you tomorrow to discuss how it went!