Kent vice-captain Sam Northeast says dropping him from the Championship side was understandable but after scoring 200-plus runs in 24 hours for the 2nd XI, he says he will return to the side stronger.

The 24-year-old has struggled for form this season, scoring just 178 Championship runs in 12 innings for an average of less than 15, with more than half his runs coming in the form of two half-centuries.

He was replaced as an opener by Daniel Bell-Drummond and after his returns of one and two in the Championship game with Essex, Fabian Cowdrey took over the No.3 spot for Sunday’s game against Glamorgan at Cardiff.

Northeast said: “It’s quite simple – I probably haven’t been scoring enough runs.
“It was an understandable situation where Fabian has done well over the last season and a half.

“I wanted to score the big 100s this year but I’ve got in twice and not gone on. Maybe if I’d gone on and got a hundred things would have been different.”

He admitted: “I was getting frustrated with how I was going but I always felt like a score was around the corner.”

However skippering the 2nd XI against Gloucestershire at The Mote, Maidstone, this week, Northeast hit 21 fours on his way to 135 on the opening day and then 10 fours and a six in a knock of 93 in the second innings on Tuesday.

Northeast believes taking a step back will lead to taking two steps forward and said: “Sometimes to go back to a not-pressurised environment and work on stuff can be rewarding.”

He added: “I played a 2nds game the week before but I didn’t manage to get many and build some confidence but it was good to come to The Mote and get some this week.
“It’s going to do wonders for you, playing on a good pitch and getting your head down and scoring some runs. Hopefully, I can build from here.

“It’s just nice to be back in the runs and hopefully I can score more and more, whatever form I’m playing.”

Northeast is expected to keep his place in the T20 side for the visit of Sussex on Friday.

He added: “Hopefully, I can get some runs there, some more next week – whatever team that is in.”