The Loughborough game last week gave everyone an opportunity to look at the Kent youngsters of the future.

Daniel Bell-Drummond made a great debut and is a player who seems to have a lot of time at the crease.

Ashley Shaw is still raw and showed he has all the skills in his second spell and Adam Riley got some great bounce but has already showed his worth in the first team this year.

Matt Coles bowled with some serious pace and gave the students some nightmares going into day two, after picking up four wickets at the end of the first day.

Captaining the team was made easy as there were great individual performances. I just let the bowlers express themselves which they did and the challenge now is for them to go on and do it when they get opportunities at the next level.

There was a great atmosphere in the changing room and everyone played their part. I know we played against a poor Loughborough side and we can’t take too much out of it but there was a great unity among all the team.

The side could be the Kent side in three or four years from now. We won’t reap the rewards now but might then and it could be special.

It was nice to get a big score but it was one of those no-win situations as I was expected to score runs.

Hopefully I can take it into the game against Derbyshire this week.

We head for Tunbridge Wells next week, with the four-day game against Leicestershire, followed by our first two T20 games against Somerset and Hampshire.

It is normally a flat wicket at The Nevill and a chance for all the batsmen to get big scores under the belt.

Paul Dixey is a good mate of mine and could be playing against us next week.

He left Kent after being released last summer and had a trial with Nottinghamshire.

He went to Leicester pre-season, has been given the chance behind the stumps and has played in the last two championship matches, making 72 not out to help save the game against Gloucestershire at Grace Road last week.

It would be typical of him if he came back and scored a hundred against us.

We have to beat Derbyshire first and it’s about time we got a win at Canterbury this season. Hopefully, Russell Crowe (Rob Key) will lead us to victory.

He claims in the latest issue of The Cricketer people call him that all the time but I have never heard anyone say it!