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Young Kent paceman Matt Hunn making the most of his opportunities
00:00, 24 July 2015
Matt Hunn has certainly made the most of his opportunities when fellow paceman Matt Coles has been rested this season.
He returned the best bowling figures of his fledgling first-class career – 5-99 – when he replaced Coles for the Ashes tour opener against Australia at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, last month.
Captain Michael Clarke was one his scalps in his impressive first- innings haul.
Hunn, 21, then took 3-51 against Surrey in the LV= County Championship, Division 2 clash at the Kia Oval, a return that included the prize wicket of Sri Lankan great Kumar Sangakkara, the fifth-highest run scorer in Test match history.
And to add to a memorable few weeks, Hunn also made his T20 debut in the NatWest T20 Blast South Group clash against Glamorgan at Tunbridge Wells on Friday.
He took 3-30 in his four overs and that included another international scalp, South African batsman Jacques Rudolph.
He said: “The lads are giving me a bit of stick about taking all these ‘international’ wickets.
“But it feels great to be playing in the first team and bowling against the calibre of players that I am.
“Playing against these international players is a great way to help me continue to learn.
“I am enjoying the challenge and the chance to execute my skills against them.”
But Hunn is determined not to be just a fill-in player.
Hunn, who plays his club cricket for Sandwich Town, said: “I want to be playing regularly, regardless of what format of the game it may be in.
“And to do that, to ensure I keep my name in the frame, I have to take any opportunity that comes my way. The best way of doing that is to keep taking wickets.”
And Hunn did that in the impressive innings-and-207-run demolition of Essex – the county he was born in and supported when growing up – in the LV= County Championship, Division 2 clash at Tunbridge Wells this week.
Hunn took 2-78 and 4-47 but was modest about his contribution.
He said: “It was a whole team performance – that’s why it was so convincing.
“I was just happy to pick up some more wickets and help the cause.”
