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Kent Cricket assistant coach Matt Walker is confident the Spitfires can go even further in the Royal London One-Day Cup

Kent assistant coach Matt Walker doesn’t care who his side play in the Royal London One-Day Cup quarter finals – he’s confident they can keep up their impressive run of form in the competition.

Details of the date, time and opposition will not be known until after the final round of matches are completed on Thursday, although Kent will host the match.

Kent officials made a request to the ECB that the quarter-final be played next Friday (August 29).

Kent's performances before Wednesday's seven-wicket defeat to Middlesex had already secured their place in the last eight and it’s that form Walker is confident his side can continue to produce in the one-day arena.

Matt Walker Picture: Barry Goodwin
Matt Walker Picture: Barry Goodwin

He said: “We’ve played some outstanding, exciting cricket in this competition and it’s been rewarded.

“We’ve had plenty of questions asked of us and we’ve answered them all. Being the first in the group to qualify is proof of that.

“We don’t mind who we get – it’s at home, we’re playing well and we are bound to get a huge crowd to support us. It’s going to be exciting.”

Kent will be without paceman Doug Bollinger and spinner James Tredwell for the quarter-final. Bollinger is heading home to Australia this weekend to prepare to play for the Hobart Hurricanes in next month’s Champions League T20 in India, while Tredwell will be on one-day duty in the England squad against India.

Walker said the pair will be hard to replace but has no doubt there will be no shortage of players eager to do it.

He said: “Replacing two such experienced players as them will be hard, given what they give our bowling attack.

“Saying that, it gives a great opportunity to other squad members such as Charlie (Hartley) to come in and perform.

“We have already seen that in this competition and long may it continue.”

Kent host New Zealand A in a three-day game at Canterbury starting on Monday and Walker admitted there had been no talk of a squad for that yet.

He said: “I’m guessing that a number of senior players and main bowlers will be given a rest, though.”

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