SILENT RUNNING....
I have mixed emotions when it comes to cricket - divided loyalties, I suppose. My very first visit to a county championship venue was in 1949 when my parents took me to Hampshire`s old ground in Northlands Road, Southampton to watch the county side play the touring New Zealanders. And unsurprisingly my loyalty to Hampshire cricket, which was born on that day, remains undiminished. But in recent years I have been fortunate to pay many a visit to Canterbury to watch Kent playing in the historic surroundings of the St. Lawrence ground. And having lived in Kent for well over half a century it is equally unsurprising that I now also follow the fortunes of Kent cricket.
Now a couple of days ago history was made at Canterbury when Jordan Cox and Jack Leaning (pictured above) piled on 423 runs in a second wicket partnership that eclipsed anything that had gone before in Kent`s history in the Bob Willis Trophy game against Sussex. This competition limits the first innings to 120 overs which made Kent`s total of 530 for the loss of just one wicket even more remarkable. Not surprising then that Kent romped home to an innings victory.
Cox, a 19-year old from Margate is a product of Kent`s Academy since the age of ten, contributed 238 not out whilst Leaning - a 25-year old recruited from Yorkshire - made 220 not out.
Now you might imagine that such a feat in the summer game would have attracted a bit of coverage from the assorted media. But apart from newspapers merely showing details of scorecards and the odd mention in the Kent media, this extraordinary achievement has largely gone unnoticed and unreported.
But today `news` surrounding the event has indeed been reported whereby Jordan Cox has been excluded from Kent`s next match after a breach of the team`s Covid-19 protocols. He has been forced to self isolate after agreeing to be photographed with young fans after leaving the Canterbury ground in breach of social distancing policy. He will now have to test negative before being allowed to rejoin the squad but he will miss Kent`s next game in the Bob Willis Trophy against Middlesex starting on Saturday.
Cox has said how sorry he is that this has happened. "I fully understand the consequences and I wish to apologise to everyone. I feel as though I have let the team down."
I suppose it all represents the times in which we live but it does seem unfair that his and Leaning`s achievement has not been given the acknowledgment it deserves, while Cox`s innocent misdemeanour has attracted perhaps too much notice?
Now a couple of days ago history was made at Canterbury when Jordan Cox and Jack Leaning (pictured above) piled on 423 runs in a second wicket partnership that eclipsed anything that had gone before in Kent`s history in the Bob Willis Trophy game against Sussex. This competition limits the first innings to 120 overs which made Kent`s total of 530 for the loss of just one wicket even more remarkable. Not surprising then that Kent romped home to an innings victory.
Cox, a 19-year old from Margate is a product of Kent`s Academy since the age of ten, contributed 238 not out whilst Leaning - a 25-year old recruited from Yorkshire - made 220 not out.
Now you might imagine that such a feat in the summer game would have attracted a bit of coverage from the assorted media. But apart from newspapers merely showing details of scorecards and the odd mention in the Kent media, this extraordinary achievement has largely gone unnoticed and unreported.
But today `news` surrounding the event has indeed been reported whereby Jordan Cox has been excluded from Kent`s next match after a breach of the team`s Covid-19 protocols. He has been forced to self isolate after agreeing to be photographed with young fans after leaving the Canterbury ground in breach of social distancing policy. He will now have to test negative before being allowed to rejoin the squad but he will miss Kent`s next game in the Bob Willis Trophy against Middlesex starting on Saturday.
Cox has said how sorry he is that this has happened. "I fully understand the consequences and I wish to apologise to everyone. I feel as though I have let the team down."
I suppose it all represents the times in which we live but it does seem unfair that his and Leaning`s achievement has not been given the acknowledgment it deserves, while Cox`s innocent misdemeanour has attracted perhaps too much notice?
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