Kent head coach Matt Walker insists they’ve got to get the basics right if they want to compete with the best in the country.
Having escaped from a rain-affected final day at Essex on Monday with a draw – thanks largely to teenage debutant Jaydn Denly – Walker wants his players to learn from their opponents.
Essex were the dominant side for long periods with bat and ball, albeit Kent showed plenty of class in their first innings with hundreds for Ben Compton and skipper Daniel Bell-Drummond.
“If you compare how they bowled to how we bowled, it was a good wicket but there was a length you could bowl as a seamer and they hit that area a lot,” stated Walker.
“That’s what they do, and they’re relentless. They do their basic skills well and we need to be better at that. It’s been a problem for a little while, being really ruthless in that area.
“It’s a skill thing and you’ve got to be able to do that at this level. That’s what the best sides do. I’ve said it a lot, when you play on good wickets it’s really crucial, especially with the Kookaburra ball.
“Essex did find assistance and if you live and die in that area, things start going your way as they showed. Our basic skill level has to be better if we want to get ourselves out of these situations.
“They were ahead of the game and once they got 150-200 ahead they were in control of the situation.
“It was difficult for Matt Parkinson, it’s very short straight at Chelmsford and someone who likes to bowl a fuller length as a spinner, they took him on and it came off. All of a sudden, the field was spread and batting became very easy.
“It was tough to watch. This is one of the best sides in the country. Essex are not far behind Surrey, and we want to aspire to be as good as them, so what can we learn from this side?
“They start very well with the bat, in the early part of an innings they work hard to get into it and then really make the most of that situation. It’s the same with the ball, they’re relentless and that’s what we’ve got to try and do.
“I would pick George Garrett out as he did that very well this week, he showed you can go at three and a half on that pitch and he’s done well for us in the first two games.”
It doesn’t get any easier for Kent, who will host Surrey at Canterbury from tomorrow (Friday). The champions have also drawn their opening two games.
“It’s the biggest challenge because they are back-to-back champions,” said Walker. “They are the best side in the country and that’s a fact.
“But we’ve competed pretty well with them in the last couple of seasons and haven’t quite made the most of situations. Last year was a tough situation we found ourselves in, controlling that game really well and then something extraordinary happened on that last day for them.
“They’re full of elite players, we’ve got to be at our very best. It’s a Dukes ball next week so that will be a different prospect. There are positives, the form of Daniel Bell-Drummond, Joe Denly and Ben Compton.
“Having got two pretty scrappy draws will give us some confidence that we know we can scrap and compete with two really good sides.”
Kent will welcome back England opener Zak Crawley to the squad but Grant Stewart and Matt Quinn are not in contention due to injury.
“Grant will hopefully play in the second team this week but he needs a couple of games to get some overs under his belt,” added Walker. “He hasn’t played much this pre-season so he’ll be available for the Lancashire game.
“Zak will be back and he’s with us for a while, which is great. That will give us a lot of quality, he’s off a brilliant winter and is itching to get going.
“We’re pretty lucky this year as we’ll have a lot of Zak, pretty much up to the back end of the Blast. It’s obviously very welcome when he comes back, he enjoys being in the group and at the top of the order he gives us a real boost.”
