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Everyone is delighted to have got through to the t20 quarter-finals after beating Surrey and Essex.
They are two big scalps and it was a great achievement to win both games with excellent individual preformances from Azhar and Stevo.
Eveything came together at the right time but we mustn’t take Leicestershire lightly. People will look at the quarter-final draw and say we got the best draw we could possibly get – apart from being at home.
They are like us in many ways, struggling in the championship but strong in t20 cricket, and can’t be written off. They finished second in the North Group so must be doing something right.
Losing against Holland in Rotterdam on Sunday was disappointing and we need to cure what we are doing wrong in 40-over cricket. Sam Billings and Chris Piesley got their chance because of injuries, with players like Key, Jones, Riaz and Mahmood all missing the trip.
Sam was tidy behind the stumps and took three catches and looked the part. He played in the t20 and was 12th man at The Oval last week, so has been part of the squad.
He is a real chatterbox behind the stumps and can get on your nerves at times! Jonesy is probably the sanest keeper on the circuit but Billings is fast earning a place in the ‘crazy’ category.
Piesley is much quieter but came in and just got on with the job. It was a great opportunity for both of them and Chris got another big chance when he was named in the Championship side to replace Keysy against Gloucestershire at Cheltenham.
The trip to Rotterdam was my first experience of playing in Holland and I would compare the facilities as being similar to an English outground. It was cold and wet but everyone was friendly and hospitable.
I heard the Kent forum was linking me with Durham but that is the first I had heard about it. Contract discussions are still taking a place and I had another meeting with chief executive Jamie Clifford on Tuesday. Things are moving forward.