Kent’s One Day Cup skipper Jack Leaning has missed the opening four games in the Vitality Blast but is itching to get back into action. 

Leaning, who has missed the opening games after sustaining a hand injury in the County Championship against Worcestershire last month told KSN of his frustration saying, “It’s a fun time of year, with everything that goes on – the crowds come in and there’s a great atmosphere, but injuries are part of sport unfortunately and I’ve got to bide my time and get it back right again!” 

“I got hit batting at the end of day three – the ball missed all the padding on my glove and actually hit me on the finger, but it broke the bottom of my hand – I have no idea how that worked,” a puzzled Leaning admitted.

“I had it x-rayed to start with as we did not think it was broken, but as it did not get much better, it was re-scanned, and they found a fracture at the bottom of my hand. It is what it is and hopefully I will get back as soon as I can!” 

“It’s very frustrating watching from the sidelines as I’d much rather be out there with the boys, but they made a decent start to the comp with playing really well against Middlesex at Chelmsford and then Somerset and although we’ve also lost a couple, there have been a lot of positives in the way that we’ve played, we are looking really good and hopefully it will be a good competition for us this year.” 

Reflecting on the side that won the Blast in 2021, Leaning said, “There’s been changes in three years which can happen, but I think this squad has a pretty similar make-up, and I think that the balance of the team that we have this year is very similar to that team in 2021, so if we can repeat that same formula, then that will be handy!” 

“We’ve had a few things go against us in red ball cricket this year which can happen, but I think that we have also got to as a group and a squad, have to take a look at ourselves in the mirror a bit and make sure that we are doing everything that we can do as well.”

“Cricket is never plain sailing, but as a group we definitely have to up our skill level a little bit and hopefully get a little bit better with bat, ball, and field.”

“The only other way to look at it is that in our matches so far, we’ve played Surrey, Essex twice and Somerset twice already who are the top three teams in the League, so hopefully we should have some teams whose form, like ours, has been indifferent in the coming games – the lads are still full of confidence in such a tightly packed League; I think it’s as tough a Division One as I’ve ever seen or played in.”

“It has not really surprised me as Durham are always strong with a very good squad of players again with people like Ben Stokes coming back and I would think they will have Mark Wood at some point as well, along with a very good group of core players.”

“It is the same with Worcester too as they have a very strong squad – there’s certainly no one in the division this year that is an easy game!” 

Others have talked about the partisan crowds at the Spitfire Ground for the Blast and Leaning added to that saying, “Home games are always important in cricket because they are your own conditions, and you should know how to play them and win in them.”

“But I think it’s even more important in T20 because you can know the dimensions of the grounds and the pitches that you’re going to get, how best to score the runs and how best to get the wickets – and if you do that for six or seven games, usually you win the majority of the games, as eight usually gets you through and nine more often than not gets you a home quarter final.” 

“In 2021, we won a lot of games from backed up positions with different people standing up and that’s what’s happened again this year in the two games we have won. I think we have got the conditions that we want this year, so I think it’s suited to our squad, so fingers crossed!” 

And the big question regarding a Leaning return? “Hopefully, the Somerset game at the weekend, but it is just a matter of time!”

“Unfortunately, you cannot speed up the healing process and the healing of a bone, so we have to wait and see how it is and hopefully be back as soon as possible!”