Match times, streaming information, tickets and travel, team news, weather forecast and everything else you need to know ahead of the latest round of the County Championship...
Fixture: Northamptonshire v Kent
Venue: County Ground, Northampton
Dates: Thursday, April 8, 2021-Sunday, April 11, 2021
Start time: 11am
What’s the lowdown?
Northamptonshire start this season in good form after promising pre-season matches against Leicestershire and Hampshire. Despite drawing both games, Northants impressed with both bat and ball, declaring on 355 for 5 against Leicestershire.
The county will be hoping to recapture the form which saw them finish second in Division Two in 2019 after a disappointing showing in the Bob Willis Trophy. The club won just one red-ball match in 2020 to finish fourth in the Central Group.
Kent, meanwhile, enter this season in good form. After finishing fourth in Division One in 2019, they won three of their five matches in the Bob Willis Trophy – only losing to eventual champions, Essex – to finish second in their group.
What’s the team news?
Northamptonshire have named a 13-man squad for their clash with Kent and are without Wayne Parnell, who is currently isolating in line with Covid protocols for people entering the UK.
Twenty-eight-year-old paceman, Jack White, will be hoping to keep his place in the starting XI after making his first-class debut in 2020, while Tom Taylor could make his first appearance for the county.
Meanawhile, Kent are without the injured Heino Kuhn (calf) and captain Sam Billings (IPL). Daniel Bell-Drummond will skipper the side in his absence.
West Indies bowler Miguel Cummins could make his debut for the county while Fred Klaasen, Jordan Cox, and emerging player of the year, Marcus O’Riordan, are also included.
Northants squad: Adam Rossington, Gareth Berg, Nathan Buck, Ben Curran, Emilio Gay, Simon Kerrigan, Ben Sanderson, Tom Taylor, Charlie Thurston, Ricardo Vasconcelos, Alex Wakely, Jack White
Kent squad: Daniel Bell-Drummond, Jordan Cox, Zak Crawley, Miguel Cummins, Joe Denly, Fred Klaasen, Jack Leaning, Matt Milnes, Marcus O’Riordan, Harry Podmore, Ollie Robinson, Darren Stevens, Grant Stewart
Who’s said what?
Kent head coach Matt Walker, is in positive spirits following Kent’s successful pre-season training.
"Everyone’s had a good time in the middle with the bat, the bowlers have got through spells, and I think we’re peaking really nicely," he said.
"We’re very happy with how it’s gone and we’re all looking forward to Northamptonshire on Thursday."
Meanwhile, John Sadler, assistant coach at Northants, praised his squad’s performance in a recent friendly against Leicestershire, saying: "They’ve all got different game plans, they’ve all got different strengths and styles which is great, but they’ve all had that same desire to occupy the crease and an intent to score."
What's the weather forecast?
The County Ground will be covered in cloud for most of the weekend, which a chance of rain Saturday afternoon.
Temperatures will remain low throughout the match, peaking at 10 degrees.
Keep up with the weather at the County Ground with the Met Office's rolling forecast. Click here.
How do I watch the match?
TV: The match will be available to view on Northamptonshire's live stream, which is available on the club’s website in the Match Centre section. Click here.
Radio: BBC Local Radio and the BBC Sport website will carry ball-by-ball radio commentary of the game.
Digital: The Cricketer will carry daily updates from every County Championship match in 2021, as well as the latest breaking news from around the counties and exclusive features. Visit our County Hub for more.
Going to the game?
Tickets: This match is to be played behind closed doors owing to Covid-19 restrictions.
Travel: Not applicable owing to Covid-19 restrictions.
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OTHER MATCH PREVIEWS
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
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