Kent Spitfires head coach Matt Walker looks ahead to opening T20 Blast game against Gloucestershire at Canterbury

Head coach Matt Walker is urging Kent Spitfires’ players to throw the shackles off ahead of the start of their T20 Blast campaign.

Walker conceded Kent have had a tough start to their 2023 County Championship Division 1 summer, winning just one of their first six matches.

But with Gloucestershire set to visit The Spitfire Ground in Canterbury tonight, Walker wants 2021 Blast winners Kent - who endured a miserable title defence last summer - to leave their red-ball issues behind them for the time being.

On the beginning of their T20 Blast season, he said: “It’s exciting, as always.

“I think this time of year is probably the most exciting part of the year where, for supporters and players, juices start to flow. It’s an exciting brand of cricket.

“Obviously having been a pretty successful team in this format for the last five or six years, I think everyone starts to get their juices flowing and they start looking forward to playing some T20 cricket.

“It’s been a tough six weeks at the start of the year. Now, it’s a good opportunity to sort of throw the shackles off and really pay attention to a format that we’ve played some really good cricket in.

“Hopefully, we can start well. Hopefully, the lads can find the energy to start this competition in a really positive way. There should be no excuses.

“Obviously, it’s been a busy period but I think everyone’s in the same frame of mind.

“Everyone is looking forward to getting going and who knows? It’s hard to predict what’s going to happen in this competition because it’s such a volatile format.

“But I think we know, if we play to our best potential, then we’ve got a very good chance of pushing onto the later stages.”

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