Kent’s overseas signing Brendan Nash played his first game for his new side as they lost to Glamorgan in a pre-season friendly by 7 runs on Tuesday.

Stewart Walters carried his bat for Glamorgan, hitting an unbeaten 144 as the visitors posting an imposing 266 for 6 in their 40 overs with Kent coming up just seven runs short in their pursuit in the sunshine at Canterbury.

Glamorgan skipper Mark Wallace won the toss and elected to bat first in the first of the back to back pre-season ties between the two sides, with Graham Wagg and Walters putting on a near century stand for the first wicket.

Wagg eventually went for 54 as he clipped West Indian overseas signing Brendan Nash to long off and just two overs later Mike O’Shea was run out for just five.

Chris Cooke carried on where the openers had begun, before holing out at long off with Matt Coles picking up his first victim of the day.

Will Bragg became Nash’s second wicket of his debut for Kent when he tried to loft the ball over mid wicket and shortly after Walters brought up his century pulling Sam Northeast for six.

Matt Coles picked up his second victim when Nick James was yorked by the Kent bowler, whilst former Lancashire and Surrey seamer Steve Cheetham took the wicket of Ben Wright for just three as he looked to impress whilst on trial at Kent.

Meanwhile, Walters showed what form he was in as he plundered two sixes off the last couple of balls of the innings to set the daunting target.

Kent’s reply couldn’t have got off to a worse start with Scott Newman bowled for a duck by O’Shea and it got worse when Alex Blake went the same way with the score 10/2.

Darren Stevens looked to counter attack by slamming O’Shea down the ground for six, but was cruelly run out backing up when Sam Billings drilled Graham Wagg’s ball back to the bowler, with the Glamorgan man deflecting the ball onto the stumps.

Billings went on to help Nash build a partnership, but eventually went for  chipping Dean Cosker to Nick James at mid wicket with the score 112 for 4.

That soon became 120 for 5 when Nash top edged Cosker into Robert Croft’s hands at fine leg for  .

Sam Northeast and Geraint Jones rebuilt the innings whilst looking to increase the run rate with the latter finally falling for 33 clipping the Wagg to James at mid off.

Northeast departed shortly after for 41, lofting the ball the Walters at deep mid on and it looked to be game over when Robert Croft trapped Ben Harmison lbw for just 13 leaving Kent needing 54 off the last four overs.

Matt Coles tried his best to win the game for Kent, smashing the ball to all parts with the equation dropping to 39 needed off 18 balls and then 28 off 12 balls.

Fourteen more runs were knocked off when disaster struck as Cheetham was superbly run out by Walters with Kent 255/9.

With eleven needed off the final over, Coles was run out for 39 by Wright as he looked to steal a second run and Kent were to be denied by just seven runs leaving Ivan Thomas stranded at the other end.

Kent line up: Scott Newman, Sam Billings, Alex Blake, Darren Stevens, Brendan Nash, Sam Northeast, Geraint Jones, Ben Harmison, Matt Coles, Steve Cheetham, Ivan Thomas.

 

The two sides meet again at Canterbury for a two day game that starts at 11am on Wednesday morning with the Kent side as follows:

Scott Newman, Sam Northeast, Mike Powell, Brendan Nash, Darren Stevens, Geraint Jones, Ben Harmison, Simon Cook, Matt Coles, Charlie Shreck, Mark Davies.

Picture by Sarah Ansell. To see more of Sarah’s pictures visit www.sarahcanterbury.com