IT IS hard for me to believe that there are only three weeks left of the 2005 cricket season.

There is a lot of talk about the electrifying Ashes series and a season that will be remembered for some time for its tense clashes between the two great cricketing nations.

Hopefully Kent fans and players will be able to remember this season for another reason as, with just three matches remaining, Kent are in with a very real chance of winning the County Championship.

I have been very proud of the team’s performances so far this season and had the weather and the pitch inspector been a bit kinder to us, we could have been in a fairly comfortable position at the top of the league table.

Yet this season has been a hectic, energy-sapping affair and fatigue will take its toll on the performances of some of the teams.

Six of our championship team did not make the long haul to Durham over the weekend which I hope will help boost energy levels within our camp and give us the crucial edge in the title run-in.

Last week the Spitfires played three totesport League fixtures, recorded pleasing wins at home against Yorkshire and Scotland only to lose badly in Durham on Sunday.

Andrew Hall produced two excellent all-round performances in Canterbury while Justin Kemp and Darren Stevens showed how destructive they can be with the bat.

'Kempie' took a little time to adjust to English conditions but having done that he really is on top of his game.

He now has a combined totesport and C&G Trophy batting average of 67 at a dazzling strike rate of 108 per 100 balls.

Both he and Andrew are very proud of their adopted county and would like nothing better than to help them put some silverware in the trophy cabinet.