Kent Spitfires captain Sam Billings has warned his players not to become a “lost cause”.
After a two-week break from Vitality Blast action, Spitfires resume their campaign at Gloucestershire this afternoon (Friday).
They’ve lost their last five matches – many of them convincingly – and are essentially playing for pride in their final six games of the South Group.
“We haven’t performed anywhere close to our capability and that’s always the frustration as a player, individually and collectively,” said Billings.
“If you’re not doing yourself justice, that’s what keeps you up at night.
“The South Group is bloody tough, you’ve got to keep fronting up and you’ve got to learn quickly. It’s a ruthless game, that’s the main message we’re always giving people.
“You’ve got to use this as learning, you can’t be in the same place as you are now for next year or even these next few games.
“You’ve got the time to be able to digest it, how are you going to get better for the last six games and change something about you or your performance?
“If you keep doing the same thing over and over again and keep getting the same results, I’m sorry you’re a lost cause.”
Kent’s injury list has included long-term absentees Matt Quinn and Michael Cohen, along with the likes of Jack Leaning, Wes Agar and Joe Denly.
It’s meant opportunities for others in the squad and Billings refused to blame any shortcomings on missing faces.
“It’s not an excuse,” he added. “That’s the whole point and that’s where character and professional sport comes through.
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“If you want to play this game for 10, 15, 20 years, it shows your character so even if the team is struggling and you’re struggling it’s about finding a way and trying to do it.
“It’s easier to do it in 20/20 as opposed to a four-day game which really shows it up even more. You have to find a way to get up for it.
“People really want opportunities, we’re trying to give opportunities to people and it’s about people taking them and at the moment no-one has stood up and said ‘yeah, this is my spot and I’m going to make this spot my own’.
“Ultimately, we’ve got six games left and that’s all I want to see, people who want to give everything they can, even to the very last ball. Their character is just as important as skill at the end of the day.”
With just two wins from eight games, and the prospect of facing Surrey twice in the final block of group matches, Kent need a minor miracle to reach the knockout stages.
After travelling to Gloucestershire, they visit Surrey at The Oval on Sunday.
“I’m not a mathematician,” Billings said. “It’s obviously a very slim chance, we’ve got to have a perfect record and we’re way off it at the moment if we’re brutally honest.
“This is where someone like a Jack Leaning, where he offers a huge amount, is that character in the dressing room. That’s where we need other people to step up into that vacant area and use that as a great opportunity.
“People have been crying out for opportunities, now’s the time to take it in whatever format that is. We talk about it a lot, it’s about showing up now.
“We get towards the business end of the season, we want to be a Division 1 team next year and in T20 we want to finish off strong and see some positive signs to build on for next year.”
