Great start but weaknesses are there to be seen

When I saw Rob Key had been dismissed in the first few minutes of Kent's first game of the season I felt a sense of foreboding at the months that lie ahead. Losing your Captain for a duck in the first over of the campaign is not the beginning you would like. However, cricket in its most important form is played over days, not overs. Kent's recovery was built on the shoulders of Sam Northeast. The youngster was given his head throughout last season, come what may, and I'm sure he would admit it was a very steep learning curve - too steep in fact. So to get off the mark with a century on the first day of the season must have been a real boost for the lad. Nobody else really got going for Kent on a sporting wicket and 247 might have seemed a little short until Kent's bowlers got going in the late afternoon.
That Darren Stevens should take six-for was a more than pleasant surprise. I said in the preview of the season last week that Stevens must surely be due a call-up to the England ODI side - his ability with bat and ball has long been overlooked by the selectors. However, the fact that Stevens is opening the bowling in first-class games should ring alarm bells for Kent fans. When you are reduced to seeing a medium-pacer take the new ball then you will ultimately run in to problems - maybe not now, but at some point this is a weakness that will be exposed. Stevens got the ball to jag around a bit and he was lethal on Friday. When the wickets dry out and get harder, though, Kent will be found wanting unless they find some pace from somewhere.
In the second dig Key got some important crease-time, but Joe Denly failed once again. It is difficult to understand what has happened to Denly's form since his England debut. He has undoubted quality, but something is missing. I hope he finds his form in the coming weeks - he's a quality player and he forms a good opening pair with Key, as long as they can both contribute in the way we know they can. It was no surprise to see Martin Van Jaarsveld among the runs and, too, Darren Stevens making a decent 30. Geraint Jones' twin failures may also get the skipper a little worried - Kent's successes in recent seasons, such as there have been, have largely included good runs from the wicketkeeper.
Essex looked well set early on in their chase but Stevens and James Tredwell combined to rip the heart out of the batting with wickets falling regularly. Going in to the final day, however, it was very much up for grabs. At this time of the year you would expect some early morning moisture and for the ball to do a little. Robbie Joseph coming to the fore in such conditions is very encouraging. We know Joseph can be quick. Kent need him to stay fit and find a good rhythm - if he does so then our boys might just be difficult to beat.
All in all it was a very satisfactory start to the season. A win early on will give the lads confidence. Let's hope it will breed more success as we move on through April towards the Summer.

Proper cricket is back tomorrow - Kent season preview

Kent begin their County Championship campaign tomorrow with a trip through the Dartford Tunnel to face Essex. Due to the awful financial issues at the Club there is to be no overseas player for the Members to marvel at this season. If you're an optimistic Kent fan then you have to look at this as a major opportunity for some homegrown talent to stake their claim. However, the lack of a marquee player will almost certainly see fewer coming through the gates - it's a difficult balancing act for the powers that be at Canterbury.
Last year Kent's batting was found to be sub-standard in Division One. With the (increasingly) discernible difference in the quality of the bowling attacks in Division Two this should be less of a problem. It seems inconceivable, also, that Robert Key and Joe Denly could struggle so badly for a second year in a row. Denly, it seems, is playing for his future - if that doesn't focus the mind properly then nothing will. Geraint Jones will, hopefully, re-find the consistency that marked out his exceptional season in 2009, while Martin Van Jaarsveld will once again find himself the lynchpin of the batting order - I am not alone among Kent fans who believe Van Jaarsveld should be Captain of Kent. Darren Stevens might yet get a deserved call-up to England's one-day team if he continues the quality he produced last year.
The major problem for Kent is in the bowling department. If you can't take twenty wickets, you can't win a game of first-class cricket. When Ntini was with the side last season he showed what can happen if you have just one top-class bowler in your side. Amjad Khan has taken his treatment table and departed for pastures new, but when he was fit Amjad was a massive performer for Kent. There is a need for Robbie Joseph to get himself fit, and to fulfill some of the promise we've seen over the last few years. Simon Cook will probably be relied upon far more than would be ideal, while James Tredwell will still have a point to prove to certain elements of the England Management. The loan signing, today, of Charlie Shreck from Notts is a massive boost to the attack. Shreck has a really fine track record in the Championship, with the ability to move the ball in a similar vein to Martin Saggers. Unfortunately Shreck's last few years have been punctuated by injury problems, so he should fit in nicely with Kent's pace-bowling department. Azhar Mahmood will continue to give it his all but the pace drops away with each passing year - if he plays in more than half of the matches it will be a bonus.
I believe success will elude Kent this season. Promotion would be a pleasant surprise as I really don't think the bowlers are up to it. I have plenty of faith in the batting against Second Division bowlers, so runs should not really be an issue. Kent's best chance of success might actually come in the CB40, so it will be interesting to see how the team is selected for that. In recent years we have seen inexperienced youngsters given chances in that competition, but given the small size of the squad that might not be such an option - every player will be needed on a regular basis, across the formats. It's going to be a diffiult, challenging, but interesting Summer in Kent. Let's hope for some good Summer weather, and good Kent cricket.

Congratulations India

I was extremely pleased for India on Saturday and, in particular, for Sachin Tendulkar. It would have been a terrible thing for Sachin to have gone through his career without winning on the biggest cricket stage. That he didn't make many runs in the Final should not detract from Tendulkar's contribution to the Indian success.
The Final itself turned in to a captivating game of cricket. I think a lot of neutrals might have begun to favour India after the shenanigans at the toss. I dread to think what the fallout would have been like had Sri Lanka gone on to win after that kind of thing. The TV microphones seemed to pick up a call of tails when the toss was attempted the first time - for me it left a bad taste.
When the action got underway I thought Zaheer Khan produced a complete masterclass in his opening spell. His control of line and length, bowling to a good field, was really marvellous. The England bowlers could learn a lot from this - sticking to basics doesn't do a great deal of harm (after all, it rarely hurt Glenn McGrath and Shaun Pollock). The Sri Lankan top order couldn't really get going as the ball seemed not to be coming-on to the bat. Enter Mahela Jayawardene to play one of the great ODI innings. To have the ability to play it in a World Cup Final shows a rare temperament, and an even more rare talent. It was truly a joy. With the support from Kulasekera I thought Sri Lanka had posted something of a daunting total on what appeared a difficlut pitch, and India were going to have to chase under lights.
MS Dhoni had, by his own admission, suffered a poor tournament with the bat. It is a mark of the man that he should be able to find his form when it matters most. That is why he is Captain of India - a pressurised job at the quietest of times. Gautam Gambhir was India's hero early on but it looked like he was going to be fighting a lone battle until Dhoni joined him at the crease. It was a real shame that Gambhir couldn't see it through to what would have been a deserved hundred. Dhoni's big finish, with a massive six, showed that he still has a flair for the "money-shot!"

The World Cup has suffered the usual cricticism that it goes on too long, and there are too many one-sided encounters. Undoubtedly the first part of this is true, as the TV schedules are made more important than the pace of the tournament. Having said that, this was the best tournament since the sub-continent last hosted in 1996. The progress of two of the hosts, and Pakistan, undoubtedly contributed to the ongoing momentum of this World Cup - the stadia sold-out for the knockout games which might not have happened, perhaps, were India and co not still involved.
There can be no doubt that changes are required, but mostly to the schedule, rather than the number of participating countries. How can the ICC seriously consider a World Cup that doesn't involve the affiliate nations? Why should cricket fans around the World be robbed of the chance to see Ireland beating England? Why should people like Kevin O'Brien not get the opportunity to make a name (and a future living) for themselves by performing to the World? I hope the ICC sees sense, and listens to what cricket lovers want, before the next tournament in 2015.

World Cup Final tomorrow, ECB accreditation applied for

Tomorrow is the ODI big day with the World Cup Final between India and Sri Lanka. India have the "home" advantage for the Final and the Sri Lankans will be expecting to face an incredibly partisan crowd in Mumbai (still can't get used to calling Bombay a new name). For me it's a bit of a shame that the match isn't at Eden Gardens in Calcutta where a unique atmosphere exists in front of such massive numbers in attendance. Having said that, I suspect the noise will be ear-splitting.
I picked these two out as my finalists before the tournament began. Australia were clearly not as good as they were, with the official rankings being slightly misleading you would have to say (this is a quirk of any ranking system - Tiger Woods was only recently overhauled in golf, you will recall). I always felt South Africa would revert to type, while England and West Indies lived down to expectations (though England were very much the "stars" of the tournament when it came to entertaining matches). New Zealand, as ever, batted way above their average (if you'll pardon the pun). I always felt that the best ODI team's were Sri Lanka and India, and so it has come to pass.
Sri Lanka have lost Angelo Mathews from the side tomorrow with injury. This is a blow for them, but it's a bigger blow for the player, I'm sure. Mathews has worked incredibly hard to become a part of the side, and it's cruel that he won't be involved in the Final - he has had a good World Cup. There are lingering doubts over Muralitharan, but I think we can safely say he will be playing tomorrow, unless he is taken ill. Any pain he may be feeling from his injury is easily masked by the necessary injections/pills, and there is no way Murali will miss his swansong in the World Cup Final.
It is difficult to pick a winner from the two sides, but I am a sentimentalist and would like to see India win. I believe it would be a travesty were Sachin Tendulkar not to achieve what seems to be his destiny by winning the World Cup, in India, tomorrow. If he scores his 100th international century at the same time it will be one of the great, romantic sports stories.

I have applied today for my 2011 ECB press accreditation in the hope that I will be able to give proper justice to a blog that covers Kent County Cricket Club. I am not sure that my request will be granted, though I live in hope. Wisden 2009 lamented the fact that blog writers were not among those accredited journalists for the 2008 season. I believe that blog writing is becoming more and more popular with cricket followers, and I hope the ECB is willing to move with the times, and give people like me an opportunity to write about the game I love, with the same privileges afforded to "proper" journalists.

You can follow the blog on Twitter - @CricketOpinion.

What is England's cure?

So England have failed once again on the biggest stage in 50-over cricket. There will, no doubt, be much wailing and gnashing of teeth, lamenting the fact that the counties don't play any 50-over games, the players play too much, the tours are too long etc etc etc. I have already heard that "changes are needed" and that Michael Vaughan wants Stuart Broad to be Captain - that's a good idea, make a guy Captain that can't control his own behaviour on the pitch! Most worrying of all is the retort that England need to pick more "one-day specialists." For goodness sake, haven't we been here before?
I find this whole theory about "specialists" hard to take. Australia have tried to go down that route with their squad this past couple of years, and ended up with Cameron White in the middle order. I am firmly of the belief that good cricketers can play any form of the game. England have spent the last three months trying to find an opening batsman to partner Andrew Strauss. The fact is that they had the very man out in Australia, but sent him home before the shorter format stuff began - his name is Alastair Cook. No other country would have a guy making runs hand over fist in the way Cook did in The Ashes, only to discard him because of some perceived weakness in limited overs matches. Have you seen Cook's record in one day cricket for Essex? There is certainly nothing there to suggest that Pietersen, Prior or Bell are more suitable candidates for the role.
England have played in three World Cup Final's - 1979, 1987 and 1992. When you look at the make-up of those sides you notice that the same players were involved in Test and One-Day International cricket, all at the same time. The reason for this? They were the best players in the Country so they played cricket for England - it's not rocket science is it?
The counter argument is that the game has moved on since those days, but surely the fundamental principles of any game of cricket remain, don't they? There is still a place for people who play with a straight bat, orthodox strokes, good line and length with the ball - you don't see India and Sri Lanka doing too much cocking around with their team, and they are likely to play each other in the Final this weekend. Jonathan Trott has taken some criticism for not hitting enough boundaries, but is it not more important that at least one player bats through an innings, regardless of the form of the game? The fact is that, if one of your top 3 scores a century (or close to it), you will make a respectable total. England made a respectable total in the quarter-final, thanks to Trott, but the bowling was not good enough on the day.

Right, we've got that sorted so let's move on towards the County season...

Can we now hear the end of how good Ian Bell is?

So England lived down to expectations in Colombo yesterday. Watching the Sri Lankan openers bat it struck me that they kept playing fairly straight, and largely played shots from the text-book. Contrast that with Andrew Strauss' awful innings. I actually thought 220+ was a decent return on that pitch - after all, the experts kept telling us how batting second was a poisoned chalice there. Oh dear.
What I really want to talk about today, though, is not England's overall failings - nobody seriously expected them to get close to winning the World Cup anyway - but to concentrate on one particular player, who I am fed up of hearing about.
Over the past few years we have heard how good Ian Bell is. There is no doubt that Bell has wonderful technique, employing the straightest of straight bats, and possessive of an exquisite cover-drive. But it's not enough is it? How many chances is Bell going to get? We kept hearing that he should be opening the batting in this one-day team, then we would see the best of him. Well yesterday he did open. And he got out in the exact same way again - giving catching practice to short mid-wicket. His record in international cricket is more favourable due to his luck in playing so many innings against Bangladesh, hence he has a very good Test average. When he has scored runs against other nations it has invariably been when England have been very much in the ascendancy (I accept that there are notable exceptions, but nowhere near enough of them).
During the ODI series in Australia (I think, actually, it might have been in the 20/20's) David Lloyd said at the end of the innings, and I quote, "Bell was batting like Bradman." Given that he was out for 30 I would beg to dispute Bumble's observation. I am sick of the fact that every pundit chooses to drool over the way Bell plays - the man does not get enough runs. When you consider how Graeme Hick and Mark Ramprakash were discarded you have to wonder why Bell is still playing Test Matches for England - he is incredibly fortunate to be playing in an era of a weaker Australia and West Indies and, as a result, a more successful England. I hope that now we have begun to see the end of the Bell "myth." Perhaps the promotion of Morgan and Bopara to the England middle-order can not come soon enough.

Yardy should be applauded

Michael Yardy is an incredibly brave individual. It takes a very special kind of person to admit he has an illness that many people will still perceive as some form of weakness of mind. Geoffrey Boycott's comments yesterday were, at best, unfortunate. Given that Boycott has, himself, been seriously ill in the past it is all the more galling that he can come out with such drivel. Depression is a horrible thing for someone to have to deal with. At its worst it can lead to the most hellish of personal thoughts and can be, make no mistake, life threatening.
I can only assume that "Sir" Geoffrey has never read Marcus Trescothick's quite magnificent autobiography. Trescothick's incredibly frank and candid account of his own battle with depression is enlightening - anyone who thought depression was a weakness would be made to understand the physical and emotional effect it can have on an individual - no matter how "macho" they are supposed to be.
I applaud Michael Yardy for going public with his problem and being big enough to walk away from the World Cup. Steven Davies was widely praised and revered for coming out as gay just before the World Cup began - I believe Yardy's announcement is far more brave. I hope that he can return to Sussex and have another successful season, hopefully following in the footsteps of Trescothick who has thrown his heart and soul in to playing for Somerset.
It's worth, perhaps, making an observation on the cricket press at this stage. I strongly suspect that most of the press corps in India were aware that something was not quite right with Michael Yardy's frame of mind. However, at no point was it reported. By the same token Sky are now showing a few seconds of footage that see Yardy breaking down in tears while sitting out a practise session - only after Yardy's announcement has this footage been made public. Had this been a Premier League footballer there is no way that the football press would have remained quiet about it - they would have made cheap headlines at Yardy's expense, and made the problem for him even worse. It is a credit to the cricket writers that they choose to stay close to the players in this way. It's one of the reasons why we all love reading about the game - most of the cricket writers care about the game just as much as we do.

In terms of the World Cup the results seem to be going England's way. New Zealand beating South Africa is a major shock, for me. I thought that the South African's would finally bury some demons at this tournament, but they choked yet again on the big stage. This means that England will never get a better chance. A semi-final against New Zealand is eminently winnable, but first they must get past Sri Lanka in their own back yard.
The rain is falling in Colombo and you would have to think that a damp wicket would favour England - moisture might just mean some early movement for the England seamers. According to Twitter right now the England players are being kept awake by some kind of noisy disco in their hotel. Sabotage? You better believe it.