Darren Stevens during the first inings against Glamorgan Picture: Barry Goodwin

EXCLUSIVE by Alex Hoad

Darren Stevens has launched a scathing attack on the pink ball experiment in Kent’s LV= County Championship Division 2 clash with Glamorgan.

The all-rounder warns the pink balls, which were used in the first-ever day/night championship game that is due to end today (Thursday), are difficult to see after dark and could even endanger players who are unable to pick up the course of pacier deliveries.

"In a way it is exciting and it’s good to be part of history," said Stevens. "But if they asked me to take part in a competition with this format again, I wouldn’t do it.

"You just can’t pick the ball up. We were watching from the sidelines on Monday night and you could not see the ball.

"There were a couple of dropped catches which were routine and they put them down because they couldn’t see the ball.

"Their keeper had a gimme of a catch, the ball coming straight at him, but he closed his fingers before the ball got there and dropped it.

"The pink ball is just not meant to be. I know there’s the ‘wow factor’ at the moment and they want it to be the next big thing but Geraint Jones came in on Monday and said on a good pitch with a quick bowler people could get hurt, and you don’t want that."

Stevens, who scored just 12 in the first innings, said: "Of course I didn’t want to get out so quickly but afterwards I went straight in and had a power nap for 45 minutes.

"It’s September, we were all wrapped-up – it was a bit like playing a pre-season game in those conditions. We know it’s a trial game and that we are guinea pigs but both sides are playing for nothing, there’s no real intensity to the game.

"One of the most disappointing things is that we as players were not asked the question about whether we’d be up for this."