If we had, he would have got a lot more wickets."I applied the same principles in picking Aravinda that I used when choosing Hooper, namely that if an overseas player bats and bowls then you have another string to your bow. It's a bit unfortunate this year because we have not really got on many wickets that have turned. "He started a bit slowly," admitted Benson, "and probably felt under more pressure when he didn't make runs straight away, but once the sun started shining, he began scoring a lot of runs." De Silva has 1,226 to date for a Championship average of 68, and he has said: "You guarantee me the weather, I will guarantee you the runs."Wickets have been scarcer for de Silva the bowler, but in the Benson and Hedges Cup he has not conceded that many runs either, and has made telling contributions with his off spin on the way to the final Benson explained: "He actually bowls pretty well. "I thought at that moment," said Foster, "that I was witnessing a very special player in action and I have not changed my opinion one bit since. He has a distinctive style, and I think the young fellows at Kent are learning a lot just from the way Aravinda loves to bat."De Silva did take a little time to come to terms with English conditions. "Sri Lanka had virtually been written off, then Aravinda came in and absolutely destroyed what, at that time, was a reasonable Australian attack.

I think he made 170-odd."In fact it was 167, 100 less than his Test best made against New Zealand a couple of years later. "I saw him in the first Test in Brisbane in 1989," he explained. I am absolutely amazed at how well he has fitted in."The Sri Lankan first caught Foster's eye when he was doing his winter job, coaching Western Australia. He is a fun-loving guy and he has the best sense of humour of all time.

"Somebody coming in to replace Carl Hooper is stepping into pretty big shoes, but Aravinda has been a superb ambassador for Sri Lankan cricket and not only is he a very fine player, he is also a very fine gentleman. According to Foster, their overseas star has dovetailed neatly into the dressing-room "He is a marvellous influence on the Kent boys I think they all look up to him," Foster said. Benson is stoical about it, saying: "When I signed Carl Hooper I got probably 80 letters saying what an idiot I was signing a guy with a terrible Test record. At least a few of those 120 members who complained about the signing of Aravinda have written back saying that maybe my judgement isn't so bad after all. I just wish they all would."At least one group in Kent is happy - the other players. On hearing news of de Silva's signing, some 120 Kent members sent letters to captain Mark Benson criticising his choice.

Kent's victory kept them in joint second place in the Sunday League table.He has already outstripped Hooper in one department. According to the Kent coach, Daryl Foster, it was de Silva who turned the game with his off spin against Derbyshire last weekend, taking a crucial wicket and helping to contain the batsmen in a high-scoring match. The boots may not be the same size, but the impression they leave promises to be as great. His stated preference is for limited-overs cricket, so he should enjoy Kent's visit to Lord's today for the Benson and Hedges Cup final against Lancashire, but so far it is in the longer game that he is making his mark.De Silva is threatening to break a few batting records, having already hit six Championship centuries - four of them in his last five innings, including two double centuries in consecutive matches - one more than Hooper managed last season.The 29-year-old de Silva, who has made 49 Test appearances for Sri Lanka and is hovering around the 40.00 mark with the bat, is beginning to do his stuff in the one-day competitions - with the ball. At just over 5ft 3in, Sri Lanka's Aravinda de Silva does not exactly walk tall, but he is proving a big signing as Kent's overseas replacement for the 6ft 1in Hooper. A fistful of first-class hundreds and more than 1,500 Championship runs together with some stunning all-round one-day performances, notably in the Sunday League, made him a difficult act to follow. Carl Hooper cast a long shadow at Kent last season.

No wonder Crawley regrets that Lancashire do not now play again at their headquarters for a month Then again, England do.... While other batsmen have struggled against the uncertainties of uneven bounce, Marron has turned out, in Crawley's view, "ideal cricket wickets".All his three Championship centuries this year have been made at Old Trafford, plus another against Nottinghamshire in the Benson and Hedges. But I feel the benefits now in mobility and speed."On two counts, then, he is a man on top of his game. But if he should thank anyone else, perhaps it is the Lancashire groundsman, Peter Marron. Once you have done that it is just a matter of training three or four times a week When you are getting fit, it is every day. There was a lot of running and a lot of time on a machine called a Versaclimber, which is particularly good for cardiovascular stuff."In any fitness course, the hardest thing is to get fit in the first place. As an academic type not naturally inclined towards vigorous exercise, he was regarded as a well-rounded young man in more than one sense and not the most mobile in the field.