Matt Milnes has highlighted the importance of making good starts to County Championship matches after Kent’s first red-ball victory of the summer.
Kent got on the board at the fourth attempt in County Championship Division 2 as they beat Derbyshire by 225 runs at Canterbury.
It was a first red-ball victory for Kent since back-to-back wins at the start of head coach Adam Hollioake’s tenure – and they will have a good opportunity to back it up, too.
Their next fixture will be at bottom side Gloucestershire from tomorrow.
Kent’s long-awaited triumph came after the decision had been made to turn off all comments on their social media channels.
While director of cricket Simon Cook said this originally has been designed as a short-term measure, more positive results could lead to giving consideration to potentially extending the ban on comments further food for thought.
When asked if the players had prepared differently for Derbyshire, Milnes replied: “Not really. I think we haven’t been miles away this year. We just seem to fall behind in games and, once you fall behind, it’s hard to wrestle that momentum back.
“We started well. Losing the toss, the way Ben Dawkins and Zak Crawley negotiated that first period set us up quite nicely because it’s very hard to win that first hour when you lose the toss in those conditions.
“To get ahead in the game was, obviously, massive. Hopefully, we can do that more times this year.”
Skipper Daniel Bell-Drummond hit 129 in Kent’s first innings 352 before wicketkeeper Chris Benjamin and all-rounder Joey Evison shared a 184-run partnership in the second innings.
Milnes said: “Deebs in the first innings looked amazing.
“The way he put the pressure back on the bowler, and how positive he was, that was brilliant. That partnership on Sunday afternoon between Benji and Joey was unbelievable.
“I was a very happy man with pad-rash! Those two guys batted really well.
“I’m really happy for Joey, he has worked really hard, and it was those two that set the game up. Then, it’s up to the bowlers to do the job. All credit to those three.”
Benjamin, 27, backed up a first-innings half-century as he made 123 in the second innings while 24-year-old Evison fell 12 shy of a ton.
“That made a big difference,” admitted Milnes.
“None of us really knew what we wanted in terms of a lead to bowl at – there was a lot of chat about it – but we weren’t really sure. It was really hard for the first 25 or 30 overs.
“Then once the ball goes quite soft, it sort of changed. As (Luis) Reece showed with the way he batted in the first innings, you probably can’t really do that on a terrible wicket.
“Once that ball goes soft, it gets tricky. He played extremely well in both innings.
“The way those guys set the game up was outstanding. Benji has been brilliant all season with the bat so I’m glad he could get over the line.”
Milnes thinks there is more to come, particularly their talented youngsters.
He said: “The guys are buzzing. There a few guys that sort of missed out, as well, and I think they’re due.
“There are a lot of good things happening. Hopefully, the guys that have missed out can get runs and, hopefully with those who missed out with the ball, they can take wickets, as well.
“It’ll be excellent if that happens.”
