Skipper Sam Billings has urged Kent Spitfires’ players to take more responsibility as they desperately try to get their T20 Blast campaign back on track.
Spitfires are set to play two matches in as many days – against Sussex Sharks at Hove today and at home to Essex tomorrow – before they return to County Championship Division 1 action from Sunday against Lancashire, also at Canterbury.
Billings admits there’s already little margin for error if Kent are to make the T20 Blast knockout stages after three straight defeats, the latest of which saw them thumped by nine wickets by Gloucestershire on Sunday.
“I wouldn’t say I’m concerned,” said 33-year-old Billings of Spitfires’ recent form. “Sunday was just one of those days.
“I don’t really want to overthink it. We’ve just been blown away.
“We have had the worst day possible and they have had the best day possible for them. It’s as simple as that, it happens a lot in T20s.
“But there’s a lot of cricket left to play. We will probably have to win six out of the next eight, although five gives us a chance.
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“This game is pretty fickle at the best of times and momentum can switch pretty quickly.
“We go Thursday-Friday and it’s about people stepping up and taking on that responsibility.”
While Spitfires now sit second-bottom in the T20 Blast South group, their next two opponents are in the top four.
But Pembury-born Billings was keen not to over-emphasise the importance of their upcoming fixtures, saying: “We want to get away from ‘extra big’ – it’s just one game at a time.
“Sussex are playing some good cricket at home so it’ll be a tough game. But it’s about just focusing on that game. We can’t think too far ahead.
“If we get a bit of momentum and a bit of confidence back, we then come back here on Friday against a good Essex side.
“The schedule has been lovely where you can focus on two games at a time. We can’t point fingers at that.
“We don’t look too far ahead. We’ll just break it down into those two games.”
Billings also explained the decision to promote the vastly-experienced Joe Denly to bat at No.3 while putting Tawanda Muyeye, 23, down the order with England international Zak Crawley another batsman sorely out of form.
He noted: “We have got three guys (Billings, Denly and Daniel Bell-Drummond) that have scored more than 100 runs after six games.
“Obviously, in T20 cricket, the top four or top five have to score the most runs.
“It can be brutal this game, let’s be honest, especially as a batter if you get in a rut. You still have got to be brave, take the game on and it can happen.
“It’s more the manner in which we are getting out on different pitches. We need to be able to adapt and I just don’t think we’re doing that.
“There’s no doubting the quality. If you look down our batting line-up, there’s a lot of quality. We just have made it very difficult for ourselves in the last few games.”
Billings himself appeared the only Kent player to find rhythm in their 125 all out against Gloucestershire, top scoring with 36 from 26 balls.
He said: “It’s difficult when you’re losing wickets all around you.
“I would have liked to have continued and gone on to get 50 or 70 to get us up to a competitive total. As a batting unit, we just weren’t good enough.”
Even with a below-par score to defend, Kent struggled in the field, as well, the visitors racing to 127-1 as all-rounder Grant Stewart and Nathan Gilchrist bowled no balls.
Billings admitted: “I just don’t think we are executing as well as we could.
“Don’t get me wrong, Miles Hammond played really nicely, stroked the ball well, but we’re making it a lot easier for other teams in terms of missing our length consistently.
“That’s not me having a go – that’s just an honest appraisal of where we are at. It’s simply not good enough with both bat and ball.”
With Jack Leaning (hand) still sidelined and South African overseas all-rounder Beyers Swanepoel ill, they have proved big misses.
The captain also admitted he would consider making more changes to the team, with spinner Hamid Qadri, teenage all-rounder Jaydn Denly and wicketkeeper Harry Finch among those overlooked.
“Questions will always be asked,” added Billings.
“As professional sportsmen, you’re always trying to get that edge.”
