Kent’s overseas signing Brendan Nash has told KSN how he is closing in on a new deal that will see him at Canterbury for years to come.

Nash has been a revelation in his first season in county cricket, scoring 612 runs at an average of 43.71 in the County Championship, with two fifties and two hundreds, whilst the West Indian international batsman was instrumental in the Spitfires winning the CB40 game at Northampton on Sunday as he scored seventy in an unbeaten century partnership with Geraint Jones.

With his family living with Nash in Canterbury and a newborn addition to go along with a two and a half year old, the elegant middle order batsman told KSN how he was happy with life at the St Lawrence Ground and that he is hoping to put pen to paper on a new deal very soon:

“The family likes it here in Canterbury and I like what the county are trying to achieve on and off the field and I’d like to be part of it for a few more years yet.”

“We are currently in negotiations, sorting out the last few bits and pieces, so hopefully there will be a positive step in the next few weeks.”

Having a newborn can be stressful for most parents, but Brendan told KSN how he and his wife were coping with the sleepless nights:

“It’s not been too bad. My wife’s been helping out quite a bit. We have got one two and a half year old already, so I remember what it was like.”

“I was playing Test cricket at the time when she was born, so I remember what that was like. It’s nice to have a new addition, it has its’ moments, but overall it’s been great!”

Nash’s seventy at the weekend helped the side through to victory in the CB40 game against Northamptonshire and that could well turn out to be a crucial win as the Spitfires go in search of a place in the semi-finals over the next few days.

They face the Yorkshire Carnegie at Canterbury on Wednesday evening with the Sussex Sharks the visitors to the St Lawrence Ground for the final game of the competition on Bank Holiday Monday.

A win on Wednesday night would send the Spitfires top of Group C with a game to play, putting them in pole position for a semi-final berth and Nash is keen for the side to finish the season well:

“I guess we have put ourselves in a good position. We had a few minor hiccups early in the season in the 40 over game and had a few washouts, but we have put ourselves in that good position after the last two or three games.”

“For someone like myself, who is in his first stint at county cricket and despite having played a Test match at Lord’s, a trip to Final’s Day would be great for sure.”

“I’d love to be part of that, but then I guess there are probably about another fifteen guys that would too. That’s still a long way off though and we will need to knuckle down and get the results we need first.”

Kent are still challenging for a place in the top two of the Second Division of the County Championship and depsite a few hiccups in recent games, the 34 year old told KSN how he believes the side have it in them to get promoted in the next month:

“We have put ourselves in good positions in the County Championship, but just haven’t been able to finish it off. Whether that be a few missed chances or some decent batting from the opposition, I wouldn’t say we have been unlucky, but the weather has kept us at bay for a fair few games.”

“We keep believing in the processes that we have got in place for the four day game and hopefully that will pay off by the end of the season.”

Nash’s role of seeing the side home to victory on Sunday with Geraint Jones is an unfamiliar one to the Australian born West Indian, but one he is hoping to hold down over the next month with Azhar Mahmood away playing in the Sri Lankan Premier League for the next few weeks:

“I haven’t played an awful lot in the 40 over game and then certainly haven’t batted an awful lot (just three innings in seven matches). I had that one innings in the last game with Jonah (Geraint Jones) and we put on a good partnership to get us across the line.”

“I’m quietly confident in my role in the 40 over game and I just hope I get the chance to put it into practice.”

“Azhar has been in and out since the 40 over stuff started, and I think the players have been feeding off him when he’s been around, but when he hasn’t they have stepped into his shoes and filled them.”

“We will miss Azhar as he has been an important part of the Kent team for the past few years, but I guess I have put my hand up in a sort of Azhar Mahmood role.”

“I had good partnerships with Sam Northeast and Alex Blake at Northampton, but it was down to Jonesy and myself to get the side home. He’s been showing some good form of late and it was good that we managed to win that game.”

“We ran well between the wickets, even if we did have some scary moments.”

Play starts at 4:40pm on Wednesday evening with tickets available from www.kentcricket.co.uk

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