It promises to be a very big year of cricket in this Country and Kent Coach Matt Walker is only too well aware that it could be a big year for some of his players.

He’s been taking us through some of his hopes for certain members of his squad as the season approaches in the latest from his exclusive chat with KSN’s Mike Green.

Walker began by confirming something that was agreed in 2022. “We’ve lost a few players this year who have moved on or retired, but we’ve got Joey Evison on a contract now even though he was a loanee last year and will now be a full time member of the squad.”

“Just to clear that up he signed for us for 2023 and was on loan to us last year… he’s an extremely talented young cricketer recognised throughout the country and we’re looking for him to flourish.”

“In the Royal London Final we saw just how good he is and it’s very exciting that he’s now with us.”

At the other end of the spectrum is Michael Hogan. The coach told us, “It was an interesting signing as we were initially led to believe that he was going to retire, but then found out that it wasn’t the case.”

“So we explored it and it turned out that he was keen to carry on and for us it’s a great signing – his record is astonishing!”

“He bowled more overs than anyone for Glamorgan last year, he played in the T20 side, was picked up in the Hundred and I do think that there is still more to come.”

“Whether it’s a short signing or he gives us two or three years, whatever will be will be. He gives us some experience and quality, he’s a multi format player and I think he’ll help the younger bowlers on and off the field, as well as giving us some real reliability.”

“They’re two signings at different ends of the spectrum as one’s just beginning his journey and the other’s at the back end of it… we’re still looking for another bowler maybe (maybe an overseas), but Hogan gives us more depth in the bowling attack which we needed after losing three seamers.”

“It’s difficult as domestic seamers don’t grow on trees… but having him on board with his experience and reliability is a really strong signing.”

Then onto the overseas signing of Kane Richardson for the Vitality Blast, though the coach conceded.

“We haven’t finalised the date yet but we’re expecting Kane to join up with us in the weeks leading up to the T20s. Again I’m really pleased about that signing because it’s becoming increasingly difficult with regards to overseas cricketers to nail someone down!”

“When Kane came up, he was someone we’d looked at in the past but the fact that he wants to come after doing well in The Hundred last year, he wants to come and play some T20 cricket – and he’s available for the whole competition.”

“To get nailed down as early as we did really has meant that we’re not looking for someone as you know he’s going to be here. Not like he’ll be here for a while then he goes – it’s locked in security and certainty and we don’t have to worry about it.”

“To get it done so early in the winter was a real boost for us. He’s exactly what we needed to top and tail the innings which is a quality and we’re really excited to get someone who wants to come and be part of this group and really add something.”

“I lost count on the text messages that I got congratulating us and I think he’ll give us a huge amount of experience and it’ll prove to be a good bit of business.”

One player who will be looking to build in his second year at the Spitfire Ground is South African George Linde. “I think you’re going to see a different cricketer,” Walker said thoughtfully.

“George has had a good winter – really strong playing a lot of franchise cricket and has performed well. I think last year was definitely a tough one for him in a way, but came to us with an injury and didn’t play too much before he did.”

“I’m not sure he was ever fully fit having lost his central contract with South Africa and a new challenge at Canterbury. There were a few things that led him to not having the season he would have liked with us, but I think we all recognise that he’s a very talented cricketer.”

“He’s looking forward to having a really good season with us and he can’t wait to come back, and I think we’ll see a different George Linde.”

“He’s really shown what he’s about over the winter, so if he can show that sort of form with us, we’ve got ourselves a really good player. We know he is; now it’s about delivering it and I think what we’ve seen will undoubtedly boost his confidence and it looks like he’s got over his niggles and injury worries and he’ll come back really looking to push on.”

It’s an Ashes summer of course which means that Zak Crawley may not feature too often in Kent colours.

“I don’t think that we’ll see too much of Zak at all as it looks like the way that schedule is that we will have him at the start of the year for some Championship Cricket.” said Walker

He continued: “But then when we get into our T20 block, I don’t think we’ll see very much of him from that point on really as the England programme is very busy.”

“I hope we don’t see him very much at all from that point of view. He’s had a decent winter – playing well in Pakistan, but did see too much of him bat in New Zealand, but I think he’s very highly thought of in that group – he’s doing all the right things; playing well, we know the runs and the big scores will come as they did in the early part of the winter in Pakistan.”

“He will continue to play for England and do very well – it’s a very exciting summer for him with England. A couple of big series for him to look forward to!”

“We’ll probably have him for the first bit of the season and hopefully he’ll give us that quality at the top of the order which he always does.”

“He’s becoming a very established player in that England side now and we’ll be grateful when we see a bit of him, even if it won’t be too much…”

In the final two parts of our discussion, Walker comes face to face with a new cricket phenomenon that’s hit the Test game in the past six months as “Baz Ball” comes to the fore, both its’ domestic implications and on the biggest Test stage of them all – The Ashes!