In 2015, Kent County Cricket Club competed in Division Two of the County Championship, Group B of the 50-over Royal London One-Day Cup and the South Group of the NatWest t20 Blast. The team reached the quarter-finals of both one day competitions but struggled in the County Championship, finishing seventh in Division Two.
The season was the fourth in charge for head coach Jimmy Adams. The club captain was former England batsmen Rob Key,Rob Key remains as club captain as Northeast leads team, BBC Sport website, 6 February 2015. Retrieved 9 February 2015. although Sam Northeast took over the on-field captaincy in May after Key, having dropped himself due to poor form, chose to relinquish the captaincy to concentrate on his batting.Sam Northeast rising to the challenge of being Kent captain after Rob Key decided to take a short break, BBC Sport website, 29 May 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2015. Northeast replaced Key as the club captain for the 2016 season.
Two players from the Kent squad made senior international appearances for England in 2015. James Tredwell was a part of the World Cup squad, but only featured in the final group stage match against Afghanistan after both teams had already been eliminated from the tournament. He then played in the first Test against the West Indies in Antigua (only his second Test, having made his debut in 2010). Tredwell took 5 wickets in the match but did not play in the remainder of the series, and with England turning to several younger players after the disappointing World Cup, he was not selected during the English summer. One of the new faces in the England team over the summer was Kent keeper Sam Billings who played as a specialist batsmen in all 5 ODI matches against Australia and the single T20I matches against both Australia and New Zealand.
Matt Coles won the club's Player of the Year award, taking 100 wickets across all formats in the first season of his second spell at the county.Matt Coles wins Spitfire Kent player of the year 2015, Kent County Cricket Club, 22 September 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2017.
Squad The start of the season saw the return of top-order batsman Joe Denly and fast bowler Matt Coles after spells at Middlesex and Hampshire, respectively.Joe Denly: Kent re-sign Middlesex batsman as Nash & Adams stay, BBC Sport website, 20 October 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2016.Matt Coles: Kent re-sign all-rounder after Hampshire exit, BBC Sport website, 10 March 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2016. The squad did not include an overseas player.Kent Cricket officials back club's young prospects to fill any void left by not signing an overseas player for the 2015 season, Kent Online, 19 March 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2016.Kent 'may not sign overseas player' despite 2014 profit, BBC Sport website, 19 March 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
South African-born batsman Sean Dickson, who holds a UK passport, signed for the county midway through the season after an impressive trial in the Second XI.Sean Dickson: Kent sign batsman after Second XI trial, BBC Sport website, 17 July 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2016. Having not made an appearance for the first XI since May, former West Indies international Brendan Nash agreed to end his three-and-a-half-year spell at Kent by mutual consent.Brendan Nash leaves Kent, Kent County Cricket Club, 20 August 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2016.Brendan Nash departs Kent after three years , Canterbury Times, 21 August 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2016.
Squad list Ages given as of the first day of the County Championship season, 12 April 2015. No. Name Nationality Birth date Batting style Bowling style Notes Batsmen4 Rob Key Right-handed Right arm off break Club captain6 Joe Denly Right-handed Right arm leg break 10 Alex Blake Left-handed Right arm medium-fast 17 Sam Northeast Right-handed Right arm off break Vice-captain23 Daniel Bell-Drummond Right-handed Right arm medium 30 Fabian Cowdrey Right-handed Slow left-arm orthodox 40 Brendan Nash Left-handed Left arm medium Kolpak Registration. Released in August.58 Sean Dickson Right-handed Right arm medium British passport holder. Signed in July. All-rounders3 Darren Stevens Right-handed Right arm medium 21 Ben Harmison Left-handed Right arm medium-fast 24 Adam Ball Right-handed Left arm fast-medium 25 Calum Haggett Left-handed Right arm medium-fast 26 Matt Coles Left-handed Right arm fast-medium Wicket-keepers7 Ryan Davies Right-handed — 20 Sam Billings Right-handed — Bowlers5 Ivan Thomas Right-handed Right arm medium-fast 8 Mitchell Claydon Left-handed Right arm medium-fast 11 Imran Qayyum Right-handed Slow left-arm orthodox 14 Matt Hunn Right-handed Right arm fast-medium 15 James Tredwell Left-handed Right arm off break 18 David Griffiths Left-handed Right arm fast-medium 19 Sam Weller Right-handed Right arm fast-medium 22 Charlie Hartley Right-handed Right arm medium-fast 27 Hugh Bernard Right-handed Right arm medium-fast 33 Adam Riley Right-handed Right arm off break
County Championship Kent endured another difficult season in Division Two of the County Championship. Poor batting performances ultimately resulted in a seventh-place finish, although the team finished the season strongly and ended with 4 victories. The team regularly featured a number of young players and the bowling was impressive. Matt Coles took 67 championship wickets in 14 matches on his return to the county (and 100 wickets across all formats), while veteran all-rounder Darren Stevens again made a significant contribution with the ball. In addition, young seam bowlers including Calum Haggett and Ivan Thomas impressed throughout the season and were rewarded with contract extensionsNew deals for Kent young guns , England and Wales Cricket Board, 14 August 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2016. while Matt Hunn broke into the team after taking his first five wicket haul against the touring Australian team in June.EXCLUSIVE: Kent quick Matt Hunn struggling to come to terms with taking five wickets against Australia, Kent Online, 26 June 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2016.Steve Smith back to where it all began in Kent, The Australian, 27 June 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
Division Two
Matches
Other first-class match Kent hosted a first-class match at the St Lawrence Ground against Australia, providing the tourists first opposition of the 2015 Ashes tour. Australia won the game by 225 runs, although Kent opening batsman Daniel Bell-Drummond scored a century in the team's second innings and seamer Matt Hunn took his first five wickets haul.Ashes 2015: Australia beat Kent by 255 runs at Canterbury, BBC Sport website, 28 June 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2016.Australia tick boxes but Bell-Drummond's ton reinforces Test future, CricInfo, 28 June 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
Royal London One-Day Cup In the 2015 Royal London One-Day Cup, Kent edged through the group stage in fourth place after a thrilling run chase against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in the penultimate round of group games saw a target of 336 achieved with 8 balls to spare. The match featured a century from Sam Billings and a hat-trick for bowler Matt Coles.One-Day Cup: Matt Coles' hat-trick sees Kent beat Notts, BBC Sport website, 17 August 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2016.Brilliant Billings keeps Kent season aflame, CricInfo, 17 August 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2016. The final round of games in the group were all washed out by rain and the county progressed into the quarter-finals on net run rate.Rain helps Kent secure quarter-final, CricInfo, 19 August 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2016.Coles gives Surrey fright after Roy's hundred, CricInfo, 27 August 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
Kent lost the quarter-final against Surrey in a rain affected match at The Oval. After bowling Surrey out for 273, a target of 251 from 40 overs was set using the Duckworth-Lewis Method following a heavy rain storm at the start of the Kent innings. Despite a counter-attacking century from Matt Coles, Kent were bowled out for 233.One-Day Cup: Jason Roy hits 112 as Surrey beat Kent, BBC Sport website, 27 August 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2106.
Group B
Matches
Quarter-finals
NatWest t20 Blast After a series of good performances, Kent's young team topped the South Group of the 2015 NatWest t20 BlastKent continue to soar as Somerset face exit, CricInfo, 10 July 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2016.Kent's rowdy bunch find their stride in T20, CricInfo, 14 August 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2016. but went out of the competition at the quarter-final stage to Lancashire. After being bowled out for 142, late wickets led to a "dramatic" finish with Lancashire scoring two runs off the last ball of the match to tie the game with a score of 142/6.Lancashire progress after dramatic tie, CricInfo, 15 August 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2106. Lancashire progressed to the finals day due to losing fewer wickets.T20 Blast: Lancashire beat Kent in dramatic tied quarter-final, BBC Sport website, 15 August 2015. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
South Group
Matches
Quarter-finals
MCCU match Kent played a three-day match, without first-class status, against Loughborough MCC University before the start of the County Championship season.
Statistics Sam Northeast and Joe Denly both made over a thousand runs in first-class cricket in 2015 with Denly making the highest score for the county. Daniel Bell-Drummond scored three first-class centuries during the season and led the team in List A runs. Northeast scored a county record high score of 114 runs in the Twenty20 competition.
Matt Coles led the bowling statistics with 100 wickets across all competitions during the season, including 67 in first-class matches. Coles took a hat-trick in the Royal London One Day Cup quarter final loss to Surrey. Mitchell Claydon led the Twenty20 bowling statistics.
References
External links Kent home at ESPN cricinfo Kent County Cricket Club official site