HAVING captained Kent for several years, Sam Northeast will be in a unique position when he plays only his second one-day game for Hampshire against his former teammates in Saturday’s Royal London One-Day Cup final.

Northeast, who signed for Hampshire in March, recognises the irony as he prepares for Saturday’s Lord’s showpiece.

“I saw it coming!” he laughs. “When Kent got into the quarter-finals I said ‘this is going to be a Hampshire v Kent final!’ They’ve done extremely well.

“We played a lot of good one-day cricket over the last five years, without quite getting to a final or even Finals Day.

“But they’re definitely a good side on their day so we’re going to have to be right up for it to beat them.”

Having made his Kent debut in 2009, Northeast knows most, but not all, of the opposition.

“Matt Henry and Heino [Kuhn] are two exceptional signings,” he says.

With 664 runs at 94.85, Kolpak signing Kuhn has been the RLODC’s standout batsman while New Zealand seamer Henry and Kent stalwart Darren Stevens are among its leading wicket-takers, with 16 apiece.

Like Stevens, Joe Denly is a familiar Kent name to have impressed this year, scoring 480 RLODC runs at 80 apiece and enjoying his best season with his leg-spin (ten wickets at and an economy rate of 5.93).

“Joe’s having a brilliant year with bat and with ball by the looks of it,” continues Northeast. “He’s captained as well and has really stepped up. He looks right on top of his game. He’s played all round the world this year and is a big danger. When Joe’s on form there’s no-one better to watch.”

“There’ll be some key wickets out there but hopefully we can do what we did against Yorkshire. It will be interesting, that’s for sure. I’m sure we’ll come up with a few plans for them. I may have to take the team talk!”

There has been no shortage of badinage between Northeast and bis Kent pals. “I asked Stevo (Stevens) to bowl me a leg-stump half-volley first ball but he hasn’t replied!

“If I’m out on the boundary I might get a bit of abuse from the Kent fans, that’s to be expected. It’s going to be a great day and a great spectacle. I think we’ll have fun out there.”

Hampshire lost by one run at home to Kent in the group stage, despite only needing six off the last 11 balls, with Joe Weatherley, a Kent loanee last year, finishing unbeaten on 105.

“With five overs to go I turned my phone off and thought that was it,” recalls Northeast.

“We should have won it but if we had done Kent might not have qualified. It just shows you how tight qualification can be.”

Northeast first played at Lord’s as a 14 year-old schoolboy for Harrow’s in their annual match against Eton.

“We didn’t win that one but won every one after that and I scored a hundred in one,” recalls the 28 year-old, who was their as part of the squad when Kent lost the 2008 Friends Provident Trophy final to Essex.

“My record there against Middlesex isn’t great, but playing there is always special,” he continues.

“You have to take a few minutes to take it all in afterwards.”

Northeast’s Hampshire career has been interrupted by a broken finger - the small digit on his left hand had to be pinned - while practising slip catching shortly after his maiden century for the county, against Surrey at The Oval in the championship. “It was a bad break but these things happen and it’s mended quite nicely.”

But he believes he has improved this season just by watching Hashim Amla at close quarters. “Everything came from how still his head was on release. His head hardly moves and he has so much time because of that.”

He bounced back with 58 in the semi-final, sharing a fourth-wicket stand of 142 with James Vince, whose 171 ensured a 107-run win.

“It was good to get out there, and to see Vincey play like that from the other end was special,” he continued. “It was certainly one of the great knocks.

“The way Vincey controlled the innings under the pressure of a semi-final takes some doing.

“He led from the front fantastically. I was able to just get myself in and watch him from the other end.

“In one-day cricket he looks like he should be playing for England.

“It’s hard to say that after the record score against Australia but he should probably be in the squad at least.

“They picked him in Test cricket because he’s raw talent and to play an innings like that shows he’s a special, special talent. We’re very lucky to have him at the club.”