Batsman Mike Powell has told KSN how he believes the team spirit at Kent could go a long way to making the side successful this season.

Powell was one of six winter signings made by Kent ahead of the new season and having spent fifteen years at Glamorgan, comes with a wealth of experience.

Batting averages tell you very little about the person, with Powell certain to be one of the bigger characters in the dressing room over the coming months.

His enthusiasm for life and cricket are clear to see and his signing along with others have lifted a dressing room that has tasted defeat all too often in recent years.

Speaking ahead of Thursday’s opening Championship game of the season, Powell was pleased with how well everyone at the club was getting along:

“Obviously I didn’t know what it was like last year, but since I ve been here the boys have been brilliant.”

“We’ve signed quite a few players and there’s real competition for places. I think that’s got everyone motivated.”

“We all get on like a house on fire and I believe we’ve all gelled really nicely. You can see how the jigsaw of the team will come together and what roles people are going to play.”

Powell is one of the new signings that will be living at the St Lawrence Ground on a part-time basis, whilst returning home to Wales as and when possible to be with his new wife.

Being homesick can be a problem for a lot of cricketers, but Powell believes he and his other half have come to terms with having to be apart:

“I’m here to score runs for Kent, but you try and work out your home life the best you can so it doesn’t affect your cricket. My wife came to Canterbury to stay and I’ll get home as and when I can.”

“That’s the way it’ll be all season. We’ll catch up with each other when we can. The club have been great and said she can come on any away trips, so they have made it as easy as possible for us.”

“It’s a case of six months on and six months off, so for six months she’ll have to put up with me!”

Many cricketers sit down at the start of a new season and set themselves targets, but for Powell, that won’t be the case:

“I think you can put undue pressure on yourself if you set a target. You don’t know what kind of wickets you’re going to play on and we’ve changed balls umpteen times in the last few years.”

“You have just got to play your own game as well as you possibly can and see where you got to come the end of the season.”

As to where he wants to bat too, Powell confessed he’d just be glad to play:

“I’ll be happy playing anywhere in the side. Wherever they want me to bat, that’s where I’ll bat.”

Finally, when asked what he will bring to Kent this year, Powell had this to say:

“When you see me off the field, come and have a chat! I’ll talk as much rubbish as you want. On the field, hopefully I’ll score some runs and win us some games.”

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