Kent were undone by Lancashire Lightning's spin attack on a slow, turning pitch at the St Lawrence Ground on Thursday night
Sam Billings in action against Lancashire Lightning
A frustrated Sam Billings described the Canterbury pitch as a "snot-heap" after his Kent Spitfires side lost their T20 Blast quarter-final to Lancashire Lightning.
Kent were undone by Lightning's spin attack on a slow, turning pitch at the St Lawrence Ground on Thursday night.
The visitors won by six wickets and Billings was disappointed with the playing surface that had been prepared for the game.
"That's not exactly the pitch you want to prepare when you play against Lancashire," he told BBC Radio Kent.
"Whenever we play on flat, good, pacy pitches, we play better cricket than anyone.
Kent were beaten by six wickets
"The only time we come unstuck is on slow, snot-heaps like that - so it's just hugely frustrating if I'm being honest."
Billings' side made 133 for nine batting first before Keaton Jennings anchored the chase for Lancashire.
"I know the pitch is the same for both teams but, really, you watch Lancs whenever they're on the box - they try and prepare a ragger [big turning pitch] for their spin options, and that's exactly what we did," the Kent captain said.
"Whenever it's been a good wicket here we've played brilliantly, so I don't know what's happened.
"At the end of the day we didn't adapt well enough with the bat and, of course, that's the crux of it."
Posted by Martin on 25/08/2018 at 09:19
Aww diddums you got beat Sam deal with it soft lad
Posted by David RImmer on 24/08/2018 at 17:04
I like it when a captain says it as it is and does not hide behind cliches. Kent's captain Sam Billings has done that. Why Kent prepared that track is beyond me unless the weather has stymied or prevented the groundstaff team from preparing a fast flat track that would have suited Kent's strengths more. Lancashire had more armoury for the wicket they were playing on at Canterbury. It is as simple as that. Yet Billings does not shy away from the fact that his team did not adapt well enough which is not the same thing as whether a team or its individual members bottle it. Bottle in its most literal sense implies cricketers run away from quick bowlers when they are batting or jump out of the way when a ball is hit hard at them or avoiding a difficult catch. A lack of bottle can also mean a lack of nerve or temperament but that is too simplistic _ it takes no account of pure naked talent. (I hold my hands up and regret to say I have used bottle when I was a sports reporter.) Kent were out-skilled and whether it is a jovial remark or not bottling is a term used when you have nothing else to say. It is a term not of abuse but one of throwing out an insult to hurt an individual or group. At the end of day, Kent have reached a final in one competition and got to the last eight in another one. With a medium strength squad that is no bad achievement. Some supporters will grumble and adopt the football attitude of only winners are remembered and the losers are forgotten. That is their view point but it is a limiting and unintelligent one.
Posted by Roy Lawrence on 24/08/2018 at 15:56
Snot heap or not, same old Kent, bottlers !
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