Matt Renshaw ponders Ashes 'carrot' as rain delays Kent debut

"Do you want a detailed analysis of the day's play?" Matt Renshaw may have spent little of his adult life in England but he has a pleasing line in dry humour, and such an approach is well suited to the life of a county cricketer in an English spring. Hoping for the best but relying on nowt remains a sensible way of dealing with a climate that offers 69F temperatures in February and snow in early April.

But it is when umpires inspect conditions during a heavy shower that one knows the day's end is near. No amount of optimism can prevail against the rain that fell on Taunton during Friday morning. The wicket and square were fully covered by the scheduled start of play and the decision of umpires Rob Bailey and Richard Illingworth to abandon play in the early afternoon was, in its way, merciful.

Thus Renshaw's first day as a Kent cricketer ended with him doing little more than eating lunch. It was the gentlest of starts to a season that may yet end with him playing in the Ashes. And it was also in particular contrast to his experience a year ago when he decorated the first few hours of Somerset's competitive season with a century against Worcestershire. That was the first of three hundreds Renshaw was to make in six Championship matches but now he is back sporting Kent's colours and keen as ever to face all that English pitches and Division One seamers can throw at him.

"I've never played against a side I've previously played for and it's a bit weird coming back here, to a small town where I know so many people," he said. "But I thought it would be really good to have a couple of months over here in April and May when it's really testing for us batters. English county cricket is great. It's a different challenge to what we have in Australia and it's excellent to understand the differences between county and Sheffield Shield cricket."

The speed at which Renshaw understood such matters a year ago put him in the fast stream among current overseas cricketers. His 513 runs at an average of 51.3, plus his wholehearted commitment to his county's fortunes, made him an attractive proposition for Kent's officials when they were casting around for a batsman who could plug the holes created by the absence of both Joe Denly and Sam Billings.

"I just tried to keep it really simple last year," he said. "It was seaming about but I really enjoyed it and I think that's why I scored some runs. I played against Kent in the Royal London Cup but I gave my new team a few tips about the younger Somerset batsmen at the analysis meeting this week."

But for all that the Ashes are nearly a third of the year away Renshaw has to field questions about the series which begins at Edgbaston on August 1. It is over a year since he last played a Test match but he knows runs this spring will strengthen the argument he should be recalled.

"The Ashes is big but it's still probably four months away," he said. "I couldn't tell you exactly how long but it feels like ages. I've got a few mates who have already booked tickets but I'm trying not to think about it too much. Obviously there is that carrot dangling in the distance but I know that I bat well when I'm relaxed and not worrying about the next ball. If I try too hard then I probably won't be on that plane.

"It'll come up quick and if I'm there, I'm there. If I'm not, I may try and get back to Kent depending on what they want. I'm really looking forward to playing for the county for a couple of months because Canterbury is a really nice place to play your cricket."