Beyond the Boundary: Kent star Darren Stevens writes exclusively for the KM Group
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I don't think I have batted so consistently well before in
my 14 years in county cricket.
I have had patches in the past when I have done as well but
there have only been three or four innings so far when I haven’t
got a score.
I said last week that having got to a hundred before I was
disappointed not to go on and get a big score. I did against
Nottinghamshire at Tunbridge Wells and was a bit peeved not to get
230 or 240.
People asked me before the start if I was going to get a double
hundred, and my career best of 208. I said yes but I was probably a
bit too casual about it and over confident. I’ll take scoring 197
anytime, though.
It was a shame the rain came when it did on Sunday afternoon
because it lost us 40 overs at a crucial time. We had just got in
front and could have been 200-220 on by the close and been able to
set more attacking fields when Notts went in again.
Treddy was brilliant and I always enjoy batting with him. People
have been telling me that I am top of the Championship averages and
leading the MVP in Twenty20 but I’m not somebody who looks every
day to see the rankings. It’s all about getting as many runs as I
can and winning games for Kent.
I was a bit surprised to open the bowling against Essex in the
Twenty20 last week. I did it a couple of times last season and the
plan is to get through our first six overs and having our front
line bowlers available in the middle of the innings. We had worked
on it in practice and I’m always pushing Keysey for a bowl.
Mark Pettini, Ravi Bopara and getting Michael Lumb first ball
against Hampshire were three great scalps.
It was great to be there at the end to hit the winning runs
against Essex. Graham Napier is one of the best bowlers at the
death in one-day cricket. Azhar (Mahmood) and I had a chat before
the second last over, when we needed 18 to win. I said we’d get
eight off the first and leave 10 to get off the last but he said
‘get them in this one’ and I did.
We arrived at the Rose Bowl to play Hampshire, looked at the
pitch and thought it would be a belter. We went out, played our
shots and it turned into a poor one. In the end, 130 would have
been a good score but it took them until the last over to get
them.
We have got four days off next week, our longest break since the
start of the season. I’m looking forward to getting in the gym and
playing some golf.
Thursday, June 10 2010
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