In the midst of the UK heatwave, it was decided by the powers that be to use Kookaburra cricket balls in the latest round of Rothesay County Championship matches.

These balls are used in Australia and the decision makers decided that it would be useful for English cricketers to get used to this ball ahead of the winter Ashes series.

What may not have been considered was that all of the fit players on ECB central contracts were on England duty for their test series with India, and that playing conditions and pitches in England and Wales are very different to those in Australia. 

Across the nine Championship matches, a new record of an aggregate of 4,508 first innings runs were scored. That included one treble century, two doubles, and ten tons. Despite the ‘scoreboard pressure’ many teams replied with huge scores of their own and twelve further hundreds were rattled up. 

Out of form Jack Leaning might have hoped to back up his Kent Premier League century for St Lawrence and Highland Court with some time in the middle for his county. However, such has been his recent record, he couldn’t really complain about being omitted from the starting line up.

For the first three days of nearly every game of the round, it was not a great time to be a bowler. However, on some day four pitches, there was a bit more in it for the spinners if the Kent versus Northamptonshire encounter could be taken as an example.

Ben Compton, having finally been presented with his county cap before the start of the first day, enjoyed Kent’s toss win. He scored 66, and Tawanda Muyeye, Ekansh Singh, Joey Evison, and Jaydn Singh also entertained the crowd without going on to take advantage of the conditions.

Captain Daniel Bell-Drummond led by example, though, and batted superbly for 158. He was joined by Harry Finch, coming in on day two, and he notched his first ton of the season before succumbing for 118. Kent eventually declared at 566 for 8, and tea was taken on. 

Northants ended day two on 140 for 1 with Ricardo Vasconcelos 87 not out, and Calvin Harrison unbeaten on 41.

Vasconcelos was out for exactly 100 before Harrison celebrated his premier first class century. He was out eventually for 122, almost double his previous career best. Kent kept plugging away and had Northants at 424 for 6, with Denly taking his first two first class wickets.

However, Justin Broad joined Saif Zaib in the final session of the day and they put on exactly 200 unbeaten, and largely untroubled. At the close of play, Zaib was on 150 not out and Broad 107 not out, also a maiden century, and their team had a lead of 58.

Day four started with far fewer spectators in the ground on a cooler more overcast day with an uneventful draw the most likely outcome, however, that’s not how it played out.

The visitors continued to bat but only four overs were possible before the rain started to fall with the players returning to their changing rooms for an hour. When they returned, Kent deployed nine boundary fielders as Northants continued to plunder the Kent spinners before further rain caused lunch to be taken early with the score on 722 for 6.

At that point, the declaration was made with Zaib frustrated on 196 not out and Broad unbeaten on 157, both career bests. 

Starting their second innings with a deficit of 156, Kent lost Denly in the first over. Three overs later, more rain fell and another forty minutes were lost. Singh then struck a bright and breezy 27 before being deceived by one time Kent spinner Yuzvendra Chalhal for his first wicket of the match.

Despite some exuberant appealing, bordering on the ridiculous, Compton and Bell-Drummond saw Kent in safely for tea on 76 for 2.

Hopes of a drama free closing session took a hit when Bell-Drummond was dismissed for 30 off the first ball after the interval. Compton followed soon after when pulling to square leg and with Muyeye unavailable to bat at that stage, it was tense for the first time in four days.

Finch and Parkinson went quickly before Wes Agar was out second ball going for a massive heave.

All the while, Joey Evison was at the other end watching in horror until Quinn joined him to take the match into the final hour. Whilst those in the ground were nervous, the two in the middle looked in no trouble until the latter played an uncharacteristic shot and holed out to mid-on.

Muyeye then came out to join Evison and they scored enough runs to give Kent a lead and the two teams shook hands on the draw. Evison finished on a hard fought 49 not out.

Four of the nine matches finished with positive results, all comprehensive victories. Out of the five games that finished in draws, only the Kent match had any real excitement in the final session so it is questionable just how successful the Kookaburra versus Duke’s ball experiment has been.