Losing to Essex is one thing but being rolled over by a very average Kent side is another. They bowled very poorly in our 2nd innings, but perhaps it was a cunning plan to bowl a succession of wide half-volleys to lure our batsman into then chasing a wide good length ball. If so, it worked perfectly with Wells and Bohannon both succumbing. All our top 3 have given their wickets away in this 2nd innings.
There's quite clearly something wrong at the club. We've gone from a team that was very difficult to beat to one that is very easy to beat. With the sun coming out today it's not impossible to still win this game, but the spirit doesn't seem to be there to make that possible. Hope I'm wrong.
Bohannon tried to hit his first ball from Parky out of the ground and was lucky he wasn't caught. Was he trying to make some kind of point?
Trying to look at it objectively, Chilton has to shoulder most of the blame. The failure to bolster our support seam bowling was disgraceful. It was obvious it was needed last season. I wouldn't necssarily criticise the signing of Bruce, whose record in NZ is good, and actually looked very comfortable last night, but I do question why he is batting at no.5. It's one thing for somebody of Chanderpaul's status to insist he bats at 5, and then delivers, but for a rookie overseas pro to insist that, betrays a weakness both in the player himself and our management(ie. Chilton) in agreeing to it.
Balderson is a fine young player, who will be good enough to bat at 4 one day, but the overseas pro should be taking that responsibility, allowing Balderson to bat at 5, more suitable at the moment for somebody who's having to also shoulder more bowling reponsibilities than he should be doing, given Chilton's failure to engage an experienced backup seamer. We're going to ruin another very good young player.
Going back to when Chilton was captain, be brought in his best mate from Uni, Sutton, to help him out in the dressing room, as he couldn't do it himself, throwing Simpson & Cross under the bus in the process. Chapple hinted in an interview that having to work for Chilton was a factor in him choosing to leave. No doubt a very nice guy, but Chilton is completely unsuitable for his job. Paul Allott anybody?!
Benkenstein's appointment always looked dubious, at best, though Chilton has let him down. If we couldn't get a decent coach, did we need one at all? Jennings is an impressive guy. Could we not have let him have more control over the team and given him some helpers to arrange things like net practice. My memory may be playing tricks, but I seem to recall we once lost an unpopular coach(Simpson?) and the captain(Fairbrother?) and senior pros took over and results improved considerably.
Today is an important day. We are likely to lose, but I want to see some fight and application. Another capitulation is not acceptable, but if that happens then the chairman has to act. He has said he wants us to become the premier club. It's not going to happen with Benkenstein, and in particular, Chilton in charge.
Feel sorry for Nathan Lyon in all this. He must wonder what he's walked into.
