PAUL STRANG AT KENT

Initial impressions of Strang at Kent

I've only managed to see one-day matches so far this season, bit I've been quite impressed with the guy. He looks a bit different to your average legspinner and was definitely better than what I've seen of Ian Salisbury.

Strang bowled quite fast and flat in the one-day games, is this a common strategy of his? I suppose I'll get to see if he changes his approach in the longer game sooner or later. However, turn off the pitch aside, He still had the ball spinning in the air. St. Lawrence often does nobody any favours, the water usage regulations in the South-East of England often prevent proper pitch preparation. The "diehards" at Canterbury told me that he'd bowled a lot more attackingly that I saw and "was not a bad little bat to boot". What impressed me was his accuracy. There were't that many deliveries off target that I saw.

Batting, I'll have to say the style reminded me very much of John Emburey, with lots of poking around and poking the ball into gaps, with the ability to produce a big hit seemingly from nowhere. I've only see him fielding in the deep in one-day cricket at Kent and he did drop an absolute sitter (I reckon the sun was in his eyes to be honest!!). To make up for it he caught a much more difficult one off the same batsman in the same location 2 balls later.

Pity we'll only see him in spin partnerships with Nigel Llong and (possibly) Eddie Stanford at Kent now. A lot of us were looking forward to seeing him and Min Patel run through sides (once McCague, Headley, Ealham and maybe even Igglesden have had their shot). Patel's out for the season already with cruciate ligament damage.

Thu, 05 Jun 1997

You may have noticed that Paul Strang (c Johnson b Evans 73), with Mark Ealham (c Johnson b Franks 122), has recently taken part in a Kent record 9th wicket partnership of 171, passing the previous best (by B. R. Edrich and F. Ridgway vs Sussex at Tunbridge Wells in 1949) by 10 runs. And this (for Ealham) on the eve of the England selection committee meeting!

This was despite a broken finger on his left hand. That was what had him batting at 9 in the first place. Anyway, he'll stay in the Kent records for a while now.

His bowling hasn't yet resulted in huge bags of wickets, but it's early days yet. With the rest of the Kent attack (especially McCague) in such good form, there's barely anybody left for him to get out. However, the weather is warming up more now (summer's not been 100% spectacular so far) and I reckon things will start favouring the spinners more soon. Remember, Kumble had a horrible time in the early half of the season for India last year. Strang, who seems to be able to survive well when it isn't turning, has bowled economically and has usually picked up a couple of wickets.

Ian found this about Strang's First Class debut:

Zimbabwe B v Kent at Harare, March 30-April 1, 1993

1 innings at #9, c Wren b Davis 6

Kent 1st inns: 10-1-40-1 (Longley c&b; Strang 94)
Kent 2nd inns: did not bowl.

Played a couple more non-first-class games against Kent on that preseason tour, made a couple of 40s and took a few averagely expensive wickets.

09 Jun 1997

A hard fought game was played on an interesting wicket at The Nevill in Tunbridge Wells. Runs were always hard to come by, although there for those prepared to work for them and, importantly, the wicket seemed to favour spin a little more than the championship.

Warwickshire won the toss and, perhaps with a mind to the Benson and Hedges quarter final, invited Kent to bat first. Of the top order, Matthew Fleming chanced his arm and died gloriously for 19 but apart from Trevor Ward, nobody else settled, with only Nigel Llong (12) making double figures of the remaining top 6.

Ward batted with great restraint for his 59, but with the return of Welch at the Railway End, after 4 overs for 8 runs from the Pavilion End, the acceleration had to start. Ten runs came in the next over, including 2 well placed hooks backward of square on the leg side, but it was not to last long. In his next over, Welch slipped and bowled an accidental beamer to Ward and this unsettled him enough to hole out on the long-on boundary a few balls later. Strang had arrived at the crease not long before, and now he was supported by Martin McCague in the most exciting batting performance of the day.

Deciding that meekly batting out the remaining overs was not sufficient to yield Kent a total to defend, Strang immediately went on the attack. A mixture of nurdles, swats and judged hits, with some very quick singles yielded 49 runs in 20 minutes at a point when a Kentish surrender had looked on the cards. Strang was out caught behind for 40, but the reaction of many would seem to leave it open to doubt as to whether he actually touched the ball. He certainly seemed a little reluctant to leave the crease. Without him, the Kent innings subsided for the addition of only 4 more.

Batting:
PA Strang c Frost b Brown 40, 34 balls, 4x4; 1x6
49 with Martin McCague for the 8th wicket in 20 minutes.

However, maybe this dismissal was part of the plot, at Strang (who still has the fingers on his left hand strapped) bowled and fielded brilliantly. Julian Thompson and Dean Headley, the latter returning from injury, opened the bowling well for Kent but it didn't take Neil Smith long to go for his shots. With the score on 20, he attempted to hit Thompson straight, mistimed his shot and was well caught by Strang, running in from the long on boundary.

McCague replaced Thompson from the Pavilion end after 15 overs and bowled an expensive two overs. Fleming, coming on from the Railway end, went for 10 off a dreadful first over that could have gone for many more. Shortly, Strang was called up to replace McCague and at this point Kent looked to have nowhere near enough runs.

Strang's first over went for a single and a newly inspired Fleming bowled a magnificent wicket maiden to make amends for his previous attempt. These two continued in tandem for 10 overs, with Fleming's miserliness allowing Strang the opportunity to attack. Dominic Ostler was stumped, having not appeared at home against the legspinner and, soon after, Strang accounted for fellow Zimbabwean Trevor Penney. McCague now replaced Fleming and struck immediately, removing the stubborn Nick Knight with the first ball of his second spell. Ashley Giles was yorked soon after, and then Strang, who had slipped from centre stage, returned to grab the limelight and the wicket of Mohammed Sheikh.

A dangerous ninth wicket partnership spoilt Strang's figures, with 8 coming from his final over. The brave decision of Kent Captain Steve Marsh to turn to Llong for the 36th over finally saw the back of Michael Edmond and Fleming wrapped up the innings by clean bowling Graeme Welch. However, in removing Ostler and Penney, Strang has taken the heart out of the Warwickshire batting and the final winning margin of 34 runs emphasised that he had been one of the major differences between the two sides.

Bowling:
P A Strang 8-0-31-3 (0 wides/no-balls, one spell)

(Ostler (stumped Marsh), Penney (caught ??), Sheikh (caught Fulton)

Fielding:
NMK Smith c Strang b Thompson 11.
Caught off a skied slog, running 10-15 yards from long on to take the catch.

17 Jun 1997

Zimbabwean legspinner Paul Strang produced his best bowling figures outside his home country by removing seven Lancashire batsmen in a total of 285 all out.

Strang took 7-118 to hand Kent an 88-run lead on the first innings, the home team indebted to a Graham Lloyd century to keep them in the game. The Kent second innings may not have begun too promisingly, but the tail wagged sufficiently to allow Kent to set a target of 306 in 58 overs.

A draw looked the most likely outcome as Lancashire batted on, reaching 132/2 with no bother. However, Matthew Fleming had Neil Fairbrother caught and, when Strang removed Lloyd for the second time in the match, a draw was all Lancashire could hope for.

Mike Watkinson and John Crawley added another 47 runs but the return of Kent's first innings centurion Phillips to the attack ended Crawley's stay and Strang trapped Watkinson for 29 shortly after. Martin McCague then returned and his pace and Strang's legspin whittled away at the Lancashire tail, who just failed by 13 balls to survive.

Strang finished the second innings with 4-68 and his match figures of 54-18-186-11 were his best ever, the first time he has taken 10 wickets in a match. His bowling, plus a fine team effort from Kent that featured a maiden century for Ben Phillips, propelled Kent to the top of the County Championship table.

Strang's first innings bowling analysis: 37-12-118-7

Wickets:
SP. Titchard (st Marsh b Strang 18)
JP. Crawley (c Marsh b Strang 44)
M. Watkinson (b Strang 3)
GD. Lloyd (c Ward b Strang 122)
JJ. Haynes (c Walker b Strang 18)
ID. Austin (b Strang 20)
PM. Ridgway (c Ward b Strang 0)

Strang's second innings bowling analysis: 17-6-68-4

GD. Lloyd (c Phillips b Strang 17)
M. Watkinson (c sub b Strang 29)
ID. Austin (b Strang 14)
DJ. Shadford (c Fulton b Strang 1)

Match figures: 54-18-186-11

Batting:
lbw b Austin 43
c Atherton b Chapple 25