Following Kent’s brilliant performance in the Rothesay County Championship Division Two match at Merchant Taylors’ School in Hertfordshire against Middlesex, Matt Parkinson gave his thoughts. 

At lunch time, on day four, Joe Cracknell and Tom Helm had reduced the requirement to just over fifty runs while Kent still needed two wickets. Two wickets off consecutive balls by Parkinson, shortly after the restart, saw Kent win by 46 runs.

“I wouldn’t say tense is the right word.” said Parkinson. “Beans were going a bit and I think the (lunch) break came at a good time. They played well, Helm and Cracknell, and I think the lunch break came just when we needed it.”

“I think it helped that I’d bowled four overs earlier and it had spun a bit as well yesterday. This game was weird. I think probably if you spoke to (Middlesex spinner Zafar) Gohar I think we both expected we would have more of a central role and it just nipped for four days really so I had to play second string which is fine, but I did think I’d bowl more, to be honest, and I didn’t think that the pitch would play like it did.”

His second victim was left hander Noah Cracknell who was bowled by a ball that pitched well outside off stump then ripped back to hit middle and leg. When asked if he had ever bowled a delivery that had spun more Parkinson responded.

“Not this season, but I’ve bowled a few I reckon, a few on YouTube back in the day. I’ve not played as much this season and when I have, conditions haven’t really suited and I’ve not taken many wickets so to get 2 for 20 was nice.”

After a poor start to the season, cumulating with an innings defeat against Worcestershire, Kent’s Championship form has improved remarkably.

“I think you can put the last five wins down to being relaxed, nailing our skills” he said.

“The seamers have been fantastic and Hasan (Mahmud) in the two games he played. Having Quinny (Matt Quinn) was brilliant and from that Worcester game it’s just been better vibes.”

“It’s just nice to be winning. I think my first two years at Kent we didn’t win many games and it’s nice to have a squad to pick from. We’ve not got too many injuries and I think that we’re showing when we do have a full squad and fit team we’re right up there.”

There have been pluses from the poor recent seasons. Parkinson said: “I think the last two years enabled us to blood a few young players. You’ve seen the likes of Ekansh (Singh), (Ben) Dawkins, Jaydn (Denly) playing a more central role now and that’s probably the one takeaway from the last two seasons.”

This week second placed Kent visit third place Northamptonshire but the instruction to the players are to treat it as just another game. “Durham are top by a way.” said Parkinson.

“Smokey’s (Head Coach Adam Hollioake)nchat is clear. We play each game as normal. Don’t check the table.”

“It’s been a weird season. Grounds that you think are going to spin don’t spin and I think it’s nipped more during the season. I’m hoping Wantage Road is a ragger. I really hope that it’s disgraceful.”

“I look around the grounds. Mason (Crane) didn’t bowl much this week. My brother only bowled one over. There are grounds that are spinning. (Jack) Leach has bowled 55 overs. Part of it for us is that our seamers have been brilliant.”

“We haven’t needed spin as much. If the seamers had been poor today I’d have probably bowled twenty overs but I’m hoping that the weather stays nice and I can bowl some overs.”

“It’s nice to be playing and feeling a part of it again. It’s been a stop start season. I didn’t play the Blast. I feel like I’ve bowled well when I have played. I’ve been playing on flatties.”

Despite not bowling as many overs as he would have liked, Parkinson is enjoying being a part of a bowling unit. He said: “I think that’s the one change from the last two years. We’ve got a group of bowlers now instead of just two or three.”

“We aren’t as worried about a bowler going down and the likes of (Grant) Stewart, (Jas) Singh and Joey Ev (Evison), we’ve got a crop of bowlers. Bertie Foreman as well so it’s nice to be part of a group now when there were times that the attacks we put out were thin. It’s nice to be part of a group.”