Kent Spitfires signed off a disappointing T20 campaign in style with a comprehensive eight wicket win against the Sussex Sharks.

Matt Coles starred throughout, picking up his best T20 figures with both ball (3-14) and bat (40), and taking three catches.

After losing the toss, the Spitfires were superb in the field and took nine catches, as the home side were all out for 113 off the last ball of the innings, Mitch Claydon backing up Coles with 3-22.

The run chase then never really encountered any problems, with Coles sent up the order to bat at three as a pinch-hitter, and making his T20-best 40 with three fours and three sixes.

Sussex had started solidly at 11-0 after two overs, and the third over saw Mark Davies brought into the attack and hit for 22 runs as Matt Machan hit him for three sixes and a four.

Davies was kept on for the fifth over and repaid captain Geraint Jones’ faith by finding the breakthrough, removing Machan with the first ball of the over, caught in the deep by Matt Coles for 31 from 20 balls. The over proved to be an excellent comeback from the seamer, going for just one run, leaving the Sharks on 40-1 after 5 overs.

Matt Coles came into the attack for the final powerplay over and kept the pressure up in style, as danger man Luke Wright was caught by Sam Billings for just 8 from 13 balls, with only two runs from the over.

Coles picked up the Spitfires’ third wicket in his next over, as Daniel Bell-Drummond took a smart, juggling catch on the boundary after throwing it back in for himself as he approached the rope. Chris Nash was the batsman to depart this time, making 5, leaving Coles with figures of 2-0-3-2 after two overs of his spell.

Darren Stevens came into the attack and picked up the fourth wicket for the Spitfires, as Ben Harmison took a good catch over his shoulder to send Rory Hamilton-Brown back to the pavilion for 16, with Sussex reaching 68-4 at the halfway stage of their innings.

Stevens and Adam Riley continued to do an excellent job of keeping it tight through the middle overs, and Riley picked up the important wicket of Scott Styris in the 15^th, Coles catching him for 7 from 16 balls, and the home side still with just 86 runs on the board with five overs to bowl.

The next over saw Ed Joyce hit the home side’s first boundary since the eighth over – and one of only two in the second half of their innings, and they found themselves six down in the 18^th as Mitchell Claydon had Michael Yardy caught at mid-off, Coles taking his third catch of the innings and Sussex in trouble at 99-6.

Coles picked up his third wicket in the penultimate over –  his final one – as Ed Joyce was caught at long-on by Sam Billings for 26; Coles finishing with superb, career-best figures of 4-0-14-3.

Three wickets fell in the final over as Sussex crumbled to 113 all out – Claydon picked up both Will Beer – caught behind by Geraint Jones for 6 – and Callum Jackson – caught by Darren Stevens for 3, and James Anyon was run out off the final ball, leaving Sussex 113 all out.

Daniel Bell-Drummond and Fabian Cowdrey made their way to the crease knowing they needed a run-rate of just 5.7 to pick up the win. Bell-Drummond fell for 9, caught by Chris Nash off Anyon the ball after hitting a six back over the same bowler’s head.

It was a surprise to most to see Coles striding to the wicket at three, but he proved any doubters wrong as he clubbed 40 from just 23 deliveries, with three maximums.

Sam Billings joined Fabian Cowdrey at the crease, and the pair steered the visitors home without any alarms, Cowdrey carrying his bat for a run-a-ball 28, and Billings making an unbeaten 19. The winning margin of 8 wickets with 41 balls to spare showed just what a domineering performance it was from the Kent.

The victory means that it is the Sharks and not the Spitfires who pick up the wooden spoon with last place in the T20 southern division, and Kent fans will be hoping that the big win will help spur the side on in the rest of their YB40 and LV= County Championship matches, the next of which starts at New Road against Worcestershire on Friday.

 

 

Sussex won the toss and elected to bat.

Sussex side: Wright, Machan, Hamilton-Brown, Nash, Styris, Joyce, Yardy, Anyon, Beer, Jackson, Liddle.

Kent side: Bell-Drummond, Cowdrey, Coles, Billings, Stevens, Blake, Harmison, Jones , Claydon, Davies, Riley.

Result: Kent Spitfires 114-2 (Coles 40, Cowdrey 28, Anyon 1-22) beat Sussex Sharks 113 all out (Machan 31, Coles 3-14, Claydon 3-22) by 8 wickets with 41 balls to spare.

Picture supplied by www.sarahansellphotography.com