Very nervous start there for you Tom. As Ollie said. Just take your time and build your Innings steadily. There is a lot of time for you mate. Great presentation. I am loving this story.
I walked out with Andy, looking very professional as I made lots of practise shots (later I got told I looked like an out of control wind-mill We were in a bit of a predicament with the innings held in the balance, with a big partnership desperately needed. During the lunch break I had begun to feel more confident as the team buoyed me up for the coming session.
It seemed that Warwickshire had been drugged during lunch (Cooky ) as when they started bowling at us, they were rubbish. They bowled either too short or too full and we just kept notching the score up. They also bowled quite a few extras which did show a lack of discipline. As no-balls carry a penalty of two runs in this type of the game, the innings extras began to overtake quite a few of our batsmen scores. It was no surprise therefore when myself and Andy reached the 50 partnership, with extras contributing about 10 of those runs. we decided that we should take the attack to the bowlers from now on, especially if they insisted on bowling so poorly.
Ian Bell however is becoming a Kent batsmen's nemesis as he picked up Andy's wicket. A full and wide ball, Andy attempted to drive it through the covers. It was a bad ball, however it seamed slightly and it flew of the edge of Andy's bat to be caught in the slips. The wicket was not deserved but Andy had to go on 32 and we were now 5 down. However we had done our job and taken the score from 93/4 to 157/5. I was pretty annoyed but there was nothing I could do. I would just have to build another partnership with Niall.
However cricket is a funny game. Next over Giles was brought into the attack. If I was to say I had one weakness in my game it would be facing spin. I was still pretty annoyed at losing Andy and so I advanced down the pitch to Giles to try and smash him out of the ground. Pretty stupid thing to do in reality. He saw me coming very early on, easily spun the ball through the gate and clean bowled me :o. I suddenly felt very stupid as I had done a massive shot connecting with nothing but air and my toe, which began to hurt. I was dismissed on 28. A pretty poor time to get out as I had played myself in and had now got out. As I walked back to the pavillion I was kicking myself.
Back in the changing rooms I got a bit of a dressing down from the coach.
"That was a really stupid shot you played there and you deserved to lose your wicket. What were you thinking. Niall is the last batsmen and you throw away your wicket! He now has to scrape some runs batting with the tail. If this is the attitude you take, you won't be playing for Kent much longer!
He then stormed back upstairs to the balcony to watch how Niall and Jimmy did and if they could salvage something from the innings. I felt pretty rubbish as I sat there by myself in the changing room. Cooky came down and tried to cheer me up but it wasn't much use. I had risked losing my place in the team, through a moments loss of concentration. I would have to perform really well with the ball in both innings and the bat in the second innings.
So the tail was batting after just 40 overs, with the score on 157. I was in trouble with the coach and the team looked to be heading to a rubbish first innings score. I felt pretty low
I got out to a shot like that last season! Its just a momentry lapse of concentration and your gone! Never mind, lets hope you can salvage some of your pride with the ball and the bat in the 2nd innings! Nice pres also! Liking this story very much!
So we were in a lot of trouble. The score was 157/6 and although James and Niall can bat they should not be relied on.
I dragged myself up onto the pavillion, to watch these two and tried to avoid the coach, so he wouldn't have another go at me. I was however surprised when the majority of the team came over and said how they thought he was out of order. I did cheer up and this and put my feet up. I hadn't done too badly and there had been senior players who had been more of a let down then I had. I was beginning to learn that the coach becomes really grumpy when we are losing or not doing well.
However we were doing well. Niall and Jimmy against all the odds were batting really well out there. There were still a lot of extras being conceded by the Warwickshire bowlers, but these two were also hitting some pretty fine shots. They brought up the 50 partnership with some pretty fine shots being struck by these two. The score was now 210/6 and was beginning to look a bit more respectable.
However we had been riding our luck quite a bit with these guys and eventually it ended. A complete muck up in the middle left both batsmen at the same end, with Niall being the batsman who had to go. He had made 32 crucial runs with the tail and had dragged our score slowly upwards. However he was now out. The irony was that he had looked in better form then Geraint. Once Niall had gone, the tail quickly fell. Jimmy quickly perished now trying to hit out and then Martin and Cooky quickly lost their wickets. We were 233 all out. Not bad considering we had been 157/6.
Back in the changing room the skip had a pep talk with us.
"Ok boys. A slightly disappointing total. I would have been hoping for at least 300. Warwickshire didn't bowl that well and extras was the second highest scorer! However 233 gives us something to bowl with. The new ball is going to be crucial as we need early wickets."
As the skip finished talking the heavens opened. The umpires turned up and told us we didn't need to go out. I spent the rest of the afternoon playing poker and pool in the games room with our boys and the Warwickshire team. It ended up that Ashley Giles is very good at pool and soundly beat me. The Kent boys got our revenge when we took all their money in the numerous games of poker. Eventually the rest of the day's play was cancelled and I headed out to my car.
The weather had been pretty horrendous that afternoon with driving rain and temperatures dropping. Back in my flat I turned the heating right up and wathced the highlights of the Cricket World Cup. England had been beaten by Bermuda I could get into that team. It looked like the media were calling for the heads of all the England team. They had to win their matches against New Zealand and Canada to qualify and hope Bermuda lost to New Zealand. However I had to concentrate on tomorrow's play and had to really impress with the ball.
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We were in a bit of a predicament with the innings held in the balance, with a big partnership desperately needed. During the lunch break I had begun to feel more confident as the team buoyed me up for the coming session. 
) as when they started bowling at us, they were rubbish. They bowled either too short or too full and we just kept notching the score up. They also bowled quite a few extras which did show a lack of discipline. As no-balls carry a penalty of two runs in this type of the game, the innings extras began to overtake quite a few of our batsmen scores. It was no surprise therefore when myself and Andy reached the 50 partnership, with extras contributing about 10 of those runs. we decided that we should take the attack to the bowlers from now on, especially if they insisted on bowling so poorly.
I was dismissed on 28. A pretty poor time to get out as I had played myself in and had now got out. As I walked back to the pavillion I was kicking myself.
I could get into that team. It looked like the media were calling for the heads of all the England team. They had to win their matches against New Zealand and Canada to qualify and hope Bermuda lost to New Zealand. However I had to concentrate on tomorrow's play and had to really impress with the ball.
