Kent Spitfires were on the end of a comprehensive 9 wicket defeat at Chelmsford as Essex Eagles dominated every aspect of the game to win this Royal London 50 over ‘Battle of the Bridge’. 

An unbroken 127-run stand between Sir Alastair Cook and Essex captain Tom Westley saw the home side claim the 2 points after Kent had struggled to 158 all out in the face of some tight bowling and outstanding fielding.

Skipper Ollie Robinson won the toss and elected to bat, but fell in the 3^rd over, clipping Shane Snater to a diving Josh Rymell at square leg for 2.  Tawenda Muyeye looked especially strong off his legs, hitting 3 fours and a six through mid-wicket, to add to an inside-out boundary over long off. 

Muyeye fell to the first forcing shot he played through the off-side, a flyng two-handed shoulder-high catch at point by Cook, having scored 25 out of 28.

Harry Finch struggled to get started, falling for a 17-ball duck in the next over, trying to reverse-sweep Simon Harmer.  Darren Stevens followed in the 13^th over, pulling a short ball out to a diving Ryan ten Doeschate on the square leg boundary to leave Kent 43-4.

George Munsey and Marcus O’Riordan had to try to rebuild the innings with a 51-run stand in 87 balls.  Munsey had led the way in the partnership, looking strong on the sweep, but mistimed a reverse sweep, falling to Will Buttleman’s catch for 39 (62bls, 4×4, 1×6). 

Grant Stewart got off the mark with a towering six into the River Stand but chased a wide ten Doeschate delivery, and when O’Riordan was bowled by the same bowler, Kent were 110-7 in the 34^th over.

Hamidullah Qadri found some support from the rest of the tail to end on 21 not out, and take Kent up to 158.  Essex’s spinners rotated to keep a check on the scoring rate throughout, taking a combined 4-85 from 29 overs, aided by 6 wickets from the seamers – Snater, Ben Allison and ten Doeschate.

Will Buttleman played one sumptuous cover drive before playing around an identical delivery from Matt Milnes (1-29) as Essex lost their only wicket in the 7^th over at 32. 

Cook (77 from 90bls, 9×4) stroking boundaries through the covers and square on the off-side, and Westley (69 from 77bls 6×4) equally as prolific through the leg side, were able to play with a freedom due to the lack of scoreboard pressure. 

The two experienced Essex batsmen constantly picked off singles to rotate the strike and frustrate Kent’s efforts; 7 bowlers unable to check the scoring rate as Essex eased to their target with 113 balls to spare.