Rothesay CC Match Preview: Northamptonshire v Kent
04/02/2025 03:41 PM
Kent start their Championship campaign with a visit to Darren Lehmann’s Northamptonshire, both sides having batting line ups that look stronger than the bowling.
Following the departure of Emilio Gay, Luke Procter looks likely to join Ricardo Vasconselos at the top of the order for Northants, with last year’s breakthrough player, James Sales, coming in at three. South African Matt Breetzke returns for the early season games, with Rob Keogh, George Bartlett, Lewis McManus and Saif Zaib vying for the middle order positions.
Left arm seamer Liam Guthrie and Dom Leech strengthen the Northants bowling attack alongside Ben Sanderson, George Scrimshaw and Luke Procter, with Keogh providing the spin threat.
Kent also have a new coach in Adam Hollioake and will be keen to get their season off to a winning start as they look to bounce back up to Division One. Zac Crawley is available for Kent, although he failed to score in the practice game against Loughborough UCCE. He will join Ben Compton at the top of the order with skipper, Daniel Bell Drummond coming in at three. Joe Denly is out with a broken arm, suffered while in the nets, but there are plenty of batting options, with new signing Chris Benjamin, Jack Leaning, Tawanda Muyeye and Joey Evison, fresh from a double century against the students.
Kent have signed Pakistan Test bowler Kashif Ali and South African quick Keith Dudgeon for the start of the season, as they look to try and take the 20 wickets needed to win games. They will join the Kent regulars of Nathan Gilchrist, Grant Stewart and George Garrett as Kent look to rotate the seam bowlers. Matt Parkinson was Kent’s leading wicket taker in the Championship last summer and provides the spin option.
While a draw looks the most likely outcome, both sides will hope their strengthened bowling attacks can get them into a winning position.
Key players
To win games you need to take 20 wickets, something Northants struggled to do last season. Darren Lehmann has brought 27-year-old left arm quick Liam Guthrie over from Queensland, knowing him from his time as coach on the Australian east coast. He played just two games for Queensland in the latest Sheffield Shield competition, taking eight wickets at 31.00. He holds an unfortunate record, having conceded the most runs in an innings in the Big Bash, going for 70 from four overs and has taken 50 first class wickets at 37.82. Northants will hope he can improve on those numbers.
Similarly Kent have recruited South African paceman Keith Dudgeon as Wes Agar’s arrival is delayed with his workload being managed at the end of the Australian season. Dudgeon will not be a name familiar to most Kent supporters, but the 29-year-old has 224 career first-class wickets at an average of 26,13. He will miss the final game of the South Africa four day competition, in which he plays for Boland, although his return has been less than dramatic this winter, with seven wickets at 55.28.
Team news
Northamptonshire squad (from): Luke Procter (c), George Bartlett, Matt Breetzke, Liam Guthrie, Rob Keogh, Dom Leach, Lewis McManus (wk), Gus Miller, James Sales, Ben Sanderson, George Scrimshaw, Ricardo Vasconcelos, Raphael Weatherall, Saif Zaib
Joe Denly is out with a broken arm.
Kent squad (probable): Daniel Bell-Drummond (c), Kashif Ali, Chris Benjamin, Zak Crawley, Harry Finch (wk), Keith Dudgeon, Joey Evison, George Garrett, Nathan Gilchrist, Jack Leaning, Tawanda Muyeye, Matt Parkinson, Grant Stewart
Weather and Conditions
The forecast is set fair, although it will be a bit chilly for the latter half of the match, particularly in the mornings.
With the dry weather we have had, the expectation is for plenty of runs and the bowlers will need to work hard to take wickets.
Date: 4th April 2025
Time: 11:00
Ground: County Ground, Northampton
