In 2007, Kent County Cricket Club competed in Division One of the County Championship, the South Conference of the 50-over Friends Provident Trophy, Division Two of the NatWest Pro40 and the South Division of the Twenty20 Cup. Kent also hosted a List A match against the touring Sri Lanka A team and a three-day match without first-class status against Cardiff UCCE, both at the St Lawrence Ground.
The team narrowly avoided relegation from Division One of the County Championship, with a number of matches affected by rain including one match in Worcester that was abandoned without a ball being bowled.New Road match rescheduled by ECB, Cricinfo, 11 July 2008. Retrieved 16 February 2017. In List A cricket, Kent finished mid-table in both the South Conference of the Friends Provident Trophy and Division Two of the Natwest Pro40 (although they only missed out on promotion in the latter tournament by a single point).
The highlight of the season was victory at finals day of the Twenty20 Cup at Edgbaston on 4 August. Kent defeated Sussex in their semi-final by 5 wickets, and then later in the day beat Gloucestershire by 4 wickets – aided by a hat-trick by Ryan McLaren – to win the title for the first time.Twenty20 Cup finals day, BBC Sport, 6 August 2007. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
Squad Rob Key was re-appointed as club captain ahead of the 2007 season.Key keeps job as Kent sign Arafat, BBC Sport, 23 September 2006. Retrieved 14 February 2017. Key lead a new-look squad, including overseas signing Yasir Arafat (the Pakistan all-rounder joined after having played for Sussex in 2006). Yasir would be Kent's second overseas player for 2007, joining South African all-rounder Andrew Hall. Following the 2006 season, Kent had released former captain David Fulton, wicket-keeper Niall O'Brien and bowlers Simon Cusden, Matthew Dennington and David Stiff.
Due to international commitments, Hall was away from the county during the group stage of the Twenty20 Cup in the second half of June and early July. Kent signed another South African, fast bowler Morné Morkel, to play in these eight T20 matches.Kent sign up South African Morkel, BBC Sport, 19 June 2007. Retrieved 14 February 2017. After returning for two County Championship matches, Hall then left the county again in late-July and this time was replaced by Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga on a short-term contract until the end of the season.Malinga pens short-term Kent deal, BBC Sport, 1 August 2007. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
Left-arm spinner Min Patel retained the vice-captaincy, but injury restricted him to just a single championship appearance plus the tour match against Sri Lanka A (in which he captained a mostly young team) and he retired at the end of the season. Patel made his debut for Kent in 1989, earned two Test caps for England in 1996, and took a total of 630 first class wickets as well as 88 in List A and 15 in Twenty20 cricket (he played very little limited overs cricket in the latter years of his career).Min Patel announces retirement, Cricinfo, 8 February 2008. Retrieved 13 February 2017. Patel had been at Kent throughout his career, also playing a short spell for Central Districts in New Zealand ahead of the 2006 English summer.
Squad list Ages given as of the first day of the County Championship season, 18 April 2007. Name Nationality Birth date Batting style Bowling style Notes BatsmenAlex Blake Left-handed Right arm medium-fast Joe Denly Right-handed Right arm leg break Neil Dexter Right-handed Right arm medium-fast James Goodman Right-handed Right arm medium Rob Key Right-handed Right arm off break Club captainSam Northeast Right-handed Right arm off break Martin van Jaarsveld Right-handed Right arm medium / Right arm off break Kolpak playerMatt Walker Left-handed Right arm medium All-roundersAndrew Hall Right-handed Right arm fast-medium Overseas player (until late July)Ryan McLaren Left-handed Right arm medium-fast Kolpak playerDarren Stevens Right-handed Right arm medium Yasir Arafat Right-handed Right arm fast-medium Overseas player Wicket-keepersPaul Dixey Right-handed — Geraint Jones Right-handed — BowlersSimon Cook Right-handed Right arm medium-fast James Iles Right-handed Right arm medium-fast Robbie Joseph Right-handed Right arm fast Amjad Khan Right-handed Right arm fast-medium Lasith Malinga Right-handed Right arm fast Overseas player (replaced Andrew Hall from late July)Morné Morkel Left-handed Right arm fast Overseas player (Twenty20 Cup group stage only)Tom Parsons Right-handed Right arm fast-medium Min Patel Right-handed Slow left arm orthodox Vice-captainMartin Saggers Right-handed Right arm fast-medium James Tredwell Left-handed Right arm off break
County Championship
Division One TeamPldWTLDABatBwlAdjPtsSussex167035137430202Durham16705403847–1½197½Lancashire165028140440190Surrey16504614140–1178Hampshire165038032430177Yorkshire164048049380175Kent163057143360153Warwickshire162059040380139Worcestershire16108521835095
Matches
Friends Provident Trophy
South Conference TeamPldWTLNRPtsNRRHampshire Hawks9611114+0.315Essex Eagles9602113+1.050Gloucestershire Gladiators9602113+0.125Kent Spitfires9503111+0.889Surrey Brown Caps9403210+0.779Somerset Sabres9413110+0.198Middlesex Crusaders930517−0.377Sussex Sharks920526−0.687Glamorgan Dragons900633−1.416Ireland900633−1.793
Matches
NatWest Pro40
Division Two TeamPWLTNRNRRPts1. Durham Dynamos86200+1.311122. Somerset Sabres85201+0.690113. Middlesex Crusaders85300+0.482104. Surrey Brown Caps85300+0.400105. Kent Spitfires85300+0.263106. Yorkshire Phoenix84301−0.22997. Leicestershire Foxes83401−0.39378. Derbyshire Phantoms81700−1.04029. Glamorgan Dragons80701−2.3781
Matches
Other List A match
Tour match
Twenty20 Cup
South Division
Pos Team 1 Sussex Sharks 8 5 2 0 1 11 +0.1792 Kent Spitfires 8 4 2 1 1 10 +0.3243 Surrey Brown Caps 8 4 4 0 0 8 +0.8094 Essex Eagles 8 3 4 0 1 7 -0.3655 Middlesex Crusaders 8 2 3 0 3 7 -0.2046 Hampshire Hawks 8 1 4 1 2 5 -1.116
Matches
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Final
UCCE match Kent's 3-day match against Cardiff UCCE in April did not have first-class status.
References
External links Kent home at ESPN cricinfo Kent County Cricket Club official site