[PaulTavs]

With Leeward Islands and USA out of it, Kent have a great opportunity. Wins against those two should do it, with Guyana and Jamaica having to play each other. If Kent could beat Jamaica tomorrow, they'd be in an extremely strong position.

[PaulTavs]

Kent must have come out of the Jamaica game feeling they did everything right except win. Bell-Drummond made a fine hundred and Adam Rouse batted with great confidence to lift the total after a poor start (more on that below). It was Andre Russell who denied Kent with a fine century.

James Tredwell was a guest in the commentary box, and he explained that the pitches are very difficult to bat on at 9am, as they can be a little damp. However, I see that sunset in Antigua is at 6pm, so that explains the early starts.

He also described some of the pitches as "turgid". What happened to the hard, bouncy pitches that fostered "calypso cricket" or have some of them always been like this?

Anyway, the equation for Kent remains to beat USA on Friday and then Leeward Islands on Sunday.

[PaulTavs]

Kent dug so so deep to beat USA by 30 runs in an absorbing low-scoring match.

Both with bat and ball, Kent looked completely out of it during two respective periods but showed great application to turn the match around.

Their commitment throughout this competition has been outstanding.

[gmdf]

Good to see less experienced players (Haggett, Stewart & Qayyum) being the key to the victory.

[PaulTavs]

Good to see less experienced players (Haggett, Stewart & Qayyum) being the key to the victory.

Not to mention Adam Riley, who has had a tough couple of years but came back here with a career-best 4-40.

It makes a nonsense of the theories that players play too much and would be better off "resting". Surely these players will have come on leaps and bounds for this experience.

It's a triumph for Kent. They've overcome going straight into the tournament with no practice, alien conditions inclding 9am starts where batting was an ordeal, a tough group where they need 6 wins to qualify (such a performance would have easily topped the other group), obviously all their matches being "away". Everyone has played a part and their approach, performances and tactics have been spot on.

Roll on Wednesday.

[PaulTavs]

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Kent were beaten by Barbados in the semi-final - though not without putting up a good fight.

Kent will head home feeling energised and with as many as six or seven players feeling that they have made strides forward.

While it's some time off, it will be interesting to see how Kent fare in the (domestic) 50-over cup this year.

[ir94]

Decent effort by Kent, but it does show we do desperately need a new seamer as well.
Impressed by Dickson and Rouse, hopefully Dickson can take fill some of the runs Northeast has left, and hopefully Rouse can replace Billings well when called upon,
btw who is the captain in Billings absence?

[PaulTavs]

btw who is the captain in Billings absence?

As far as I know it is Joe Denly who is the skipper.

And when he left Will Gidman took over the duties.