The 2009 season saw Kent County Cricket Club compete in four competitions: the Second Division of the County Championship, the Friends Provident Trophy, the second division of the Pro40 League and the Twenty20 Cup. It was the county's first ever season in the second tier of the County Championship, following their relegation at the end of the 2008 season.
Promotion back to the First Division of the County Championship was achieved on 18 September following a draw against Leicestershire.
Squad Kent originally announced that their overseas player for 2009 would be Australian fast bowler Stuart Clark. However Clark received a late call-up to join the Australian tour of South Africa forcing the county side to look at other options. Kent announced Clark's replacement would be South African 19-year old left-arm fast bowler Wayne Parnell. Three other South African players remained at the county as Kolpak players: all-rounders Justin Kemp, Ryan McLaren and vice-captain Martin van Jaarsveld. In addition, former Pakistan international all-rounder Azhar Mahmood was with Kent for a second season, having been granted British citizenship.
Batsman James Hockley, who was released at the end of the 2002 season and had been playing club cricket and teaching since, was re-signed by Kent for a second spell. Left-arm spinner Rob Ferley also returned for a second spell with the county.
With Parnell yet to arrive, McLaren on IPL duty, and several other bowlers suffering with early season injuries, Kent signed 35-year old seamer Steffan Jones on a one-month loan from Somerset at the start of the season.
Squad list Ages given as of the first day of the County Championship season, 15 April 2009. Name Nationality Birth date Batting style Bowling style Notes BatsmenAlex Blake Left-handed Right arm medium-fast Joe Denly Right-handed Right arm leg break James Goodman Right-handed Right arm medium James Hockley Right-handed Right arm off break Rob Key Right-handed Right arm off break Club captainSam Northeast Right-handed Right arm off break Chris Piesley Left-handed Right arm off break Martin van Jaarsveld Right-handed Right arm medium / Right arm off break Kolpak player, vice-captain All-roundersAzhar Mahmood Right-handed Right arm fast-medium British citizenMatt Coles Left-handed Right arm fast-medium Charlie Hemphrey Right-handed Right arm off break Justin Kemp Right-handed Right arm fast-medium Kolpak playerRyan McLaren Left-handed Right arm medium-fast Kolpak playerDarren Stevens Right-handed Right arm medium Wicket-keepersPaul Dixey Right-handed — Geraint Jones Right-handed — BowlersSimon Cook Right-handed Right arm medium-fast Phil Edwards Right-handed Right arm fast-medium Rob Ferley Right-handed Slow left arm orthodox James Iles Right-handed Right arm medium-fast Steffan Jones Right-handed Right arm fast-medium On loan from SomersetRobbie Joseph Right-handed Right arm fast Amjad Khan Right-handed Right arm fast-medium Warren Lee Right-handed Right arm medium-fast Wayne Parnell Left-handed Left arm medium-fast Overseas playerMartin Saggers Right-handed Right arm fast-medium James Tredwell Left-handed Right arm off break
Summary First-class matches In all, the county played seventeen first-class matches, consisting of sixteen County Championship games and a three-day friendly against Loughborough University Centre of Cricketing Excellence.
No.DateOpponentsVenueResult NotesRef 1 15–17 April Loughborough UCCE St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Drawn Not a County Championship match 2 21–24 April Northamptonshire St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Drawn 3 29 April – 2 May Essex County Ground, Chelmsford Won by 192 runs Won after following-on 4 6–9 May Glamorgan St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Won by 204 runs 5 6–9 June Leicestershire Grace Road, Leicester Drawn 6 16–19 June Essex Nevill Ground, Royal Tunbridge Wells Lost by 122 runs 7 30 June – 3 July Gloucestershire County Ground, Beckenham Won by 76 runs 8 10–13 July Surrey The Oval, London Drawn 9 15–18 July Glamorgan SWALEC Stadium, Cardiff Won by an innings and 45 runs 10 31 July – 3 August Derbyshire St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Won by 3 wickets 11 5–7 August Middlesex St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Lost by 47 runs 12 11–14 August Northamptonshire County Ground, Northampton Won by 238 runs 13 28–31 August Surrey St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Won by 6 wickets 14 2–5 September Derbyshire County Ground, Derby Drawn 15 9–12 September Middlesex Uxbridge Cricket Club, Uxbridge Won by 10 wickets 16 15–18 September Leicestershire St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Drawn 17 23–25 September Gloucestershire County Ground, Bristol Lost by an innings and 23 runs
One day matches Comp.DateOpponentsVenueResultsNotesRefFPT 26 April Somerset County Ground, Taunton Lost by 110 runs FPT 3 May Middlesex John Walker's Ground, Southgate Won by 6 wickets FPT 4 May Scotland St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Won by 4 wickets Duckworth–Lewis method used. FPT 10 May Warwickshire St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Won by 4 wickets FPT 11 May Middlesex St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Lost by 80 runs FPT 16 May Somerset St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Lost by 45 runs FPT 18 May Scotland The Grange, Edinburgh Lost by 9 wickets Duckworth–Lewis method used. FPT 20 May Warwickshire Edgbaston, Birmingham Tied Duckworth–Lewis method used. Pro40 21 July Glamorgan SWALEC Stadium, Cardiff Abandoned Floodlit Pro40 9 August Middlesex St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Won by 12 runs Pro40 18 August Leicestershire Grace Road, Leicester Won by 3 wickets Floodlit Pro40 23 August Derbyshire Queen's Park, Chesterfield Won by 4 wickets Pro40 27 August Surrey St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Won by 8 runs Floodlit; Duckworth–Lewis method used. Pro40 6 September Lancashire Old Trafford, Manchester Lost by 25 runs Duckworth–Lewis method used. Pro40 13 September Warwickshire St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Lost by 59 runs Pro40 27 September Northamptonshire St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Lost by 99 runs
Twenty20 Cup Kent finished top of the South Division table, qualifying for the quarter-finals for the fourth consecutive season. Victory against Durham saw them qualify for Finals Day at Edgbaston, where they were comprehensively beaten by Somerset in the second semi final. StageDateOpponentsVenueResultsNotesRefSouth 25 May Essex St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury No result South 27 May Middlesex Lord's Cricket Ground, London Won by 62 runs Floodlit South 29 May Middlesex St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Won by 4 wickets South 31 May Sussex St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Won by 5 wickets South 1 June Essex County Ground, Chelmsford Lost by 36 runs Floodlit South 2 June Sussex County Ground, Hove Lost by 2 runs Floodlit; Duckworth–Lewis method South 22 June Hampshire Nevill Ground, Royal Tunbridge Wells Won by 8 runs South 24 June Surrey The Oval, London Won by 1 run South 26 June Hampshire The Rose Bowl, Southampton Won by 7 wickets Floodlit South 28 June Surrey County Ground, Beckenham Won by 16 runs Quarter-final 27 July Durham St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury Won by 56 runs Semi-final 15 August Somerset Edgbaston, Birmingham Lost by 7 wickets
Matches First-class matches
Friends Provident Trophy matches
Pro40 League matches
Twenty20 Cup matches
Tables
County Championship Division Two TeamPldWTLDABatBwlAdjPtsKent168035043440219Essex16603704043−1194Northamptonshire166046040450193Gloucestershire166064039460185Glamorgan1620212056430175Derbyshire1620311055450172Surrey1610411054360148Middlesex162077043410140Leicestershire1620311031350138
Friends Provident Trophy Group B Team Pld W T L NR Pts NRRSomerset Sabres8700115+2.001Middlesex Panthers840408+0.137Warwickshire Bears831318+0.468Kent Spitfires831407−0.409Scottish Saltires810702−1.783
Natwest Pro40 League Division Two TeamPldWLTN/RPtsNet R/R Warwickshire Bears 8 5 0 1 2 13 +1.268 Middlesex Crusaders 8 5 1 0 2 12 +0.993 Kent Spitfires 8 4 3 0 1 9 -0.629 Northamptonshire Steelbacks 8 3 2 1 2 9 +0.600 Lancashire Lightning 8 3 3 0 2 8 –0.193 Glamorgan Dragons 8 2 4 0 2 6 –0.362 Derbyshire Phantoms 8 2 4 0 2 6 –0.572 Leicestershire Foxes 8 2 5 0 1 5 –0.231 Surrey Brown Caps 8 2 6 0 0 4 –0.762
Twenty20 Cup South Group TeamPldWLTNRPtsNRRKent Spitfires10720115+0.639Sussex Sharks10730014+0.315Hampshire Hawks10640012+0.853Essex Eagles10540111+0.153Surrey Brown Caps1028004–0.661Middlesex Crusaders1028004–1.186
References