Head coach Adam Hollioake is working hard to strengthen Kent’s injury-hit bowling attack.
Seam bowler Jas Singh (ankle) will miss the rest of this summer while Nathan Gilchrist also sat out last week’s heavy County Championship Division 2 loss to Glamorgan at Canterbury.
Grant Stewart was absent at Middlesex the previous week due to injury, departed South African Keith Dudgeon lasted only one match due to a knee injury while Joe Denly (arm) and Matt Quinn (hamstring) are yet to feature this term.
Kent are open to all avenues despite having more financial restraints compared to some other counties.
“A loan or an overseas player,” said Hollioake, on what sort of signing Kent will potentially be after.
“Obviously, funds are tight and we don’t have an open cheque book. We have just got to work within those parameters. It’s a massive jigsaw, isn’t it?
“We’re hunting around, trying to see what bowlers are fit around the country to see if we can bring one in.”
Hollioake isn’t one for excuses but conceded their injury list is making things tough. Gilchrist could return from concussion, though, for Kent’s red-ball game against Gloucestershire in Bristol from tomorrow.
He said: “We’re definitely hampered. Nathan Gilchrist looks like he might be fit. If he’s fit, we’ll have two bowlers from the four bowlers that we played in the first game.
“It was only one against Glamorgan so we’re starting to head back towards what we started the season with.
“We’re not going to get Jas back because he’s injured, he’s out for the summer. Obviously, Keith Dudgeon has gone so the best we can hope for is two of the four. We have just got to keep evolving.”
On Denly, Hollioake said: “Every day, he’s getting closer but he’s still a way off.
“He had a plate in there. He’s had a bat and was feeling all right but I think he’s still a couple of games away.”
Hollioake was surprised by Kent’s second straight defeat, losing by an innings and 161 runs to Glamorgan, after starting the campaign with back-to-back victories.
Wicketkeeper Chris Benjamin’s unbeaten 94 was the sole highlight as they were skittled for 212 in reply to Glamorgan’s 549-9 declared and, second time around, Kent didn’t fare any better. They were 176 all out and beaten inside three days.
“I didn’t see it coming at all,” Hollioake admitted. “Obviously, we didn’t play very well in the first half of the Middlesex game. But we fought back really hard and took that game to pretty much the last over.
“There was nothing to suggest that this was going to happen. The wicket played well, we just played terribly, and let’s hope that’s a one-off and we can get back. It’s very disappointing.”
Hollioake is reluctant to make knee-jerk changes and added: “It’s about resetting. We don’t just drop people after one bad performance.
“We’re human beings and people don’t tend to get sacked after just one bad day at work, do they?
“These guys are all good cricketers. A couple of them have had a couple of bad days so we have to look at why that is.
“It’s not just a case of getting rid of them, I think that’s the soft way as a coach, but we’ve got to try and help these guys improve.”
Jamal Richards, who was left out of the side to face Glamorgan, has returned to Essex after his brief loan spell.
Kent Women reached the third round of the Vitality T20 Women’s County Cup, defeating Berkshire on Sunday by 47 runs at Wokingham CC.
Tilly Callaghan scored a run-a-ball 42 in their 162-4 before Callaghan (3-5) and opening bowler Amy Gordon (3-17) turned the screw well.
Kent have named Simon Philip as vice-president following his retirement as club chairman in June 2024.
“Simon gave many years of service to Kent Cricket and has been a tremendous ambassador for us at chair level,” said chairman Krish Shanmuganathan.
“His appointment as a vice-president is the highest award the club can give and we, once again, thank Simon for his extensive contributions to Kent Cricket in leadership roles.”
