Brendan Nash has spoken of his pride at being awarded his county cap during the 162nd Canterbury Cricket Week.
Having only arrived in English domestic cricket last season, Nash knew little about the county capping system, but was understandably grateful to have been rewarded in such a way.
“As someone coming from outside of this culture, I really didn’t know too much about the county capping side of things”, the West Indian said. “I really didn’t know too much about it when Colesy [Matt Coles] and Sam Northeast got capped last year – I asked about the meaning of it and it was great to hear what they’d achieved in such a short time. Being one of those capped county players is a great achievement in my career.”
“I was told it might take four to six years [to be awarded a county cap], and I wasn’t planning on playing that long, so I never thought it would happen. What it seems to have meant to the members is one of the most pleasing things – to have everyone coming up to me and saying ‘congratulations’ and ‘well-deserved’ on a great week as the Festival Week is superb. I’m really honoured and humbled.”
Nash’s highlight of his time in Canterbury so far is perhaps one of the highlights of Kent fans’ season – his brilliant 199 in the chase of 411 to beat Gloucestershire at Cheltenham on the final day of their County Championship match, where he had to retire with exhaustion just one run away from a double-century.
“The the way we went about the positive chase at Cheltenham – chasing 411 on that last day – that’s a big chase in any conditions, so I think the way we went about it and the way we all came together for that was fantastic, and I think that was one of my greatest wins in a team. Obviously personally I did quite well as well. We really needed that win to try and project our season and keep it moving forward.”
With four Championship games remaining in the season, Kent still have an outside chance of promotion, and Nash believes they must remain positive if they are to have any chance.
He said: “We have to keep believing. Obviously we need things to go our way and we need to have some good performances. We’re coming up against four good sides, and two who that are at the top in Northants and Lancashire.”
“They’re four important games for us. In a way it’s kind of good – if we weren’t trying to achieve or we had no chance of making an impact on Division Two, we’d be playing for no real reason apart from self-pride, so I guess we have a chance of progressing up the ladder and changing the outcome, even if not for us.”
Kent’s next fixture sees them travel to Cardiff to take on Glamorgan in a four-day game starting on Tuesday 3 September, before returning to Canterbury to face Essex starting on Wednesday 11 September.
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