Kent face an anxious wait for an update on South African international overseas fast bowler Glenton Stuurman’s injury.
Stuurman proved a major miss in their first home County Championship Division 2 match of this campaign, as Northamptonshire racked up an enormous 684-2 declared, before the hosts dug deep to salvage an unlikely draw at Canterbury after being forced to follow-on.
The right-hander missed out on his home debut due to what was described as a tight quad but – with the 33-year-old due to be available for just Kent’s first six red-ball matches – there are fears among supporters that his English summer could already be over.
Kent head coach Adam Hollioake and his medical team have a 10-day break before their next match at Worcestershire, though, to re-assess their squad.
On Stuurman, Kent captain Daniel Bell-Drummond said: “We’re just awaiting further scans at the moment. It’s still unclear.
“We will see how that pans out. He’d started really nicely for us, so he was a miss in the Northamptonshire game, but there are some good guys in the squad.
“Matt Quinn will, hopefully, be back and Grant Stewart, as well. There are some good bowlers there.
“The guys that played the Northamptonshire game are good bowlers. But we have just got to make sure we execute our skills and put on some proper performances.”
While Kent’s bowlers put in a well below-par display against Northamptonshire, fit-again seam bowler Matt Quinn and England international leg-spinner Matt Parkinson, along with left-arm quick Mikey Cohen, have been able to get overs under their belts for the 2nds.
Bell-Drummond said: “I know Matt Quinn has been getting up to speed.
“We probably felt [against Northamptonshire] it was going to be more of a green-seamer. Those two are both quality bowlers.
“They’re guys in form and we will just have discussions, going forward to Worcester, to make sure we get the right guys on the park, who are in good form. I know all the guys in the squad are capable of doing good things.
“Everyone needs to step up that bit more, including myself.”
Kent took a single wicket on the first day against Northamptonshire and things didn’t improve much for them on day two, either.
Bell-Drummond pulled few punches as he reflected on the performance.
“It wasn’t good enough,” said the 32-year-old, whose team were able to get a draw, largely thanks to opener Ben Compton’s unbeaten second-innings 118 and a rain-affected final day on Monday. “That’s clear to see.
“That first-innings bowling was not up to scratch one bit – that was not good! We’re having a few meetings and I need to learn, as well, and try to get the best out of us.
“The bowlers also need to pick up their game. They know that wasn’t good enough. To come away with a draw, we have kind of got away with it in some ways, with the weather, but we also showed some good character while clearly being second-best.
“It’s one of those (matches) we have to learn from and to make sure we get a lot better than that.”
Kent will also have a bye week to ponder on back-to-back draws at the start of this season.
While it seems to have come around quickly for them, Bell-Drummond is taking it as a positive.
He said: “We’re going to get some good training in.
“We’ll work on some bits in the week that we have got off and make sure we’re ready to go at Worcestershire. I think it (the bye week) is a positive after coming out second-best but getting draws in the first two games, especially the Northamptonshire game.
“I think it’s good for the guys, including myself, to go away and put things right.”
Former Kent vice-captain Jack Leaning led Sussex to a five-wicket County Championship Division 1 win against Warwickshire on Monday.
Leaning, who left Kent for Paul Farbrace’s side on a three-year deal over the winter, ended 120 not out as Sussex chased down 328 for victory.
