Looks like this would be a long day out:
https://edgbaston.com/news/coach-travel-to-canterbury-confirmed-for-vitality-blast-quarter-final/
I've realised that it's 50 years since the Club organised a flight from Birmingham to see a Gillette Cup semi-final at Canterbury. We flew to Manston Airport (now closed). The day was slightly spoilt by the fact that it rained so that the match wasn't finished. Also, Kent demolished Warwickshire on the second day after we had all come home. But still an event to remember!

I think this was the game when the umpires said the game had to be played on a wet pitch that was drying out by the time Warwickshire came to bat on it. This was because the BBC refused to allow it to be played on a pitch next to the match one. This other pitch was dry but the BBC would not move their cameras so they played and the pitch got worse as the game went on. Dennis Amiss commented on it in his book 'In Search Of Runs'.

That sounds like the match. Having to bat on a drying pitch with Derek Underwood in the opposition was a guarantee of problems.

That would be the way to travel if I lived in Birmingham, a snip at £20, however I think they are cutting it a bit fine leaving at 1.45. Strange that they think the trip back will take longer than going, the M1 and M25 clockwise on a Friday is no place to be.

This game is approaching fast now, with the first QF having just finished. Judging by his inclusion in the 2nd team game Lamb isn’t in the running. No overseas players available and no confirmation if Hose is fit, so a tough one to call.
I suspect the side will look like this:

Pollock
Hose (if fit, Yates if not)
Hain
Rhodes
Benjamin
Burgess
Woakes
Mousley/Bresnan (depending on the pitch)
Briggs
Miles
Lintott

Will Woakes be allowed to play?

14 man squad:-

Rhodes, Benjamin, Bresnan, Briggs, E. Brookes, Burgess, Hain, Hose, Lamb, Lintott, Miles, Pollock, Woakes and Yates.

I would think Brookes and Lamb will miss out, but can't guess the other. Bresnan perhaps (though that only gives us 3 seamers), or Yates?

Lamb, Brooks and Pollock miss out I'd say.

Just thinking, could Benjamin keep here? Burgess hasn't had a great tournament with the bat...

Bald_Reynard wrote:

14 man squad:-

Rhodes, Benjamin, Bresnan, Briggs, E. Brookes, Burgess, Hain, Hose, Lamb, Lintott, Miles, Pollock, Woakes and Yates.

I would think Brookes and Lamb will miss out, but can't guess the other. Bresnan perhaps (though that only gives us 3 seamers), or Yates?

No Carlos Brathwaite? I thought he'd signed for the T20 for the Bears?

Playing in the CPL, he'll come back for Finals Day if we get there. This was all agreed apparently.

We're left carrying the flag for the northern section.

Results with wickets lost in brackets.
Sussex (5) beat Yorkshire (7)
Hampshire (9) beat Notts (10)
Somerset (3) beat Lancashire (9)

Look like these Hundred batsmen lack the defensive technique and concentration for The Blast. Send for Sib.

The Bears need to stop Kent making it an all-southern Finals Day.
Also, having watched the quarter final matches so far, there has been some truly dreadful fielding. Maybe it's the pressure plus the August dew but there have been so many fumbles and dropped dollies.

Well this is pretty abject batting.

I can think of better words than abject, but I would probably get a banned!!

Really poor. Their total was probably below par but we never got going. They shouldn’t have got more than 150 really which would have been much more doable.

The batting line up didn’t look balanced to me. It doesn’t excuse the awfulness of some of those wickets. Hose yet again failed to justify selection. Yates struggled to get the ball away and with that we were behind.

Good performance from Kent - thought we'd struggle to chase 160. Very quick look - I reckon we won 2 lost 5 batting second this year & won 5 lost 2 batting first. And we won the toss?

It just goes to show how important it is to start your innings with a decent scoring rate and not lose early wickets. It may sound obvious but we often get found out by relying on Hain too much because the first 3 have failed. Never felt we ever looked that convincing in this competition and in the end we just came up short as is often the case in this format.