Jack Leaning understands Kent fans’ frustration – but denies claims the players aren’t trying hard enough or simply don’t care.
Spitfires remain bottom of the Vitality T20 Blast South group with a mere three victories from 12 games, including one win at home, after they were thrashed by 88 runs by second-placed Sussex Sharks at Canterbury on Friday night.
There were boos at the end of Kent’s latest loss and several disgruntled supporters made their feelings known. Some even demanded refunds.
“No one likes losing,” said vice-captain Leaning, who faced up to post-match media duties. “Unfortunately, we’re doing a lot of it this year.
“T20 cricket is such a momentum-based form of the game.
“When you’re forced to change your team every week and have different roles as a squad, and you get into a bit of a rut, it’s quite tough to turn that around.
“No one hurts more than the lads. I appreciate the fans are pretty annoyed.
“People outside will spout off, saying the lads don’t want it and that they’re not trying, which is a load of rubbish. The lads are hurting and all they want to do is turn it around.
“We certainly will be doing everything to do that.”
Indeed, Leaning suggested some of Sam Billings’ side potentially are trying too hard to reverse their awful form.
He added: “It’s always a bit of a funny narrative, isn’t it?
“As soon as a team starts losing, people suggest the lads don’t want it and don’t care – and, actually, it’s quite the opposite.
“The lads are trying to win so much that they’re probably going too far that way.
“But it’s not going to deter us from doing everything we can to win those last two games at home.”
Kent are also bottom of County Championship Division 1 during what has been a nightmare summer to date.
They had hoped to find better form in the T20 Blast and replicate some of the success which saw them win the competition in 2021.
Batting all-rounder Leaning said: “Unfortunately, it’s not really gone that way.
“We’re bottom of the table in two forms of the game, which is never good. But we’re a strong-willed set of lads.
“Even though the results aren’t going our way at the moment, we will be doing everything we can to turn it around and, hopefully, it’s a slightly fresh start for us again when the Metro Bank One-Day Cup starts.
“Hopefully, we can hit the ground running in that competition a little bit better.”
Fielding first against Sussex Sharks, they had restricted the visitors to 64-4 inside the first eight overs, only for Tom Alsop (87 not out) and wicketkeeper John Simpson (53 not out) to deliver an unbeaten 139-run stand to get Sharks to a massive 203-4.
Leaning reflected: “I think it sums up where we’re at, to be honest. The first eight to 10 overs of our bowling innings were really good.
“With the way we started the powerplay, we took wickets and I think Jas Singh was outstanding, coming in. He bowled beautifully alongside Gilly (Nathan Gilchrist) and Rogs (Tom Rogers), who has been fantastic.
“Credit to them, they had a really good partnership that probably got away from us more than it should have done – but they batted well.
“We struggled to take wickets through the middle, they picked up a lot of twos and obviously, with two set blokes at the end on a small-ish boundary, they were always going to cause trouble.”
Kent then fell well short of their target, despite opening batsman Tawanda Muyeye top scoring with 45 from 26 balls, as the 23-year-old backed up his half-century in another losing cause at Essex’s Chelmsford ground the evening before.
Leaning admitted: “He looks like he’s really coming into form.
“You can just tell by the way that he’s moving again.
“I think, when he gets set, he picks up lengths really quickly. You can see that by how easily he plays the short-ball and even balls that are a back of a length.
“He played really well on Thursday at Chelmsford and it was good to kind of see him, hitting his stride again.
“Hopefully, he can really go well in the last couple of games.”
Spitfires, who face Glamorgan on Tuesday, are again in action at Canterbury when they conclude their terrible T20 Blast campaign at home against leaders Surrey on Friday.
Leaning hopes Kent’s youngsters can use their remaining games as a chance to show they can deliver consistent – and match-winning – performances.
The 30-year-old said: “All you can ask for from young players is that they learn from experiences – good or bad – and try to put them into the games that come up.
“Hopefully, they put their best foot forward to start winning games for the team.
“Like with any young player in their career, there becomes a point where good young talent needs to start actually winning games. But the senior lads need to stand up, as well.
“It’s not just one or the other.”
