Kent endured yet another washout on Sunday afternoon as their CB40 clash with Northamptonshire at Tunbridge Wells was abandoned as a draw.

It had all been so promising for the Spitfires as they looked to put the frustration of having the majority of the Festival Week behind them, but in the end only 33 overs were possible and the game was called off.

In the end, the result will go down as another draw with Northampstonshire having amassed 168 for 5 in 32 overs with Kent having scored 6 for 0 in their one and only over as they went about chasing down 203 on the Duckworth Lewis method.

The Spitfires had won the toss and elected to bowl first with Simon Cook replacing Mark Davies in the only change to the side that had beaten Warwickshire by ten wickets just over a week ago.

When play started at 1:45pm, it was the Spitfires that took the advantage as Darren Stevens, opening the bowling, picked up the wicket of David Willey for nine as he skied a catch to Geraint Jones.

Matt Coles was also in the action as he had Kyle Coetzer edging him to James Tredwell in the slips for just twelve and Stevens picked up his second wicket when James Middlebrook also found Tredwell at slip.

At that point, the Steelbacks were 36 for 3 and in deep trouble, but Alex Wakely and former Kent keeper Niall O’Brien set about restoring some order to their innings, putting on 74 for the fourth wicket.

Wakely was finally out for 42 as Tredwell trapped him lbw with O’Brien falling straight after the first rain break when on 46 as he edged Coles behind for his second wicket of the afternoon.

It was then down to Rob Keogh and David Murphy to see the visitors through to a respectable score as they put on 31 runs in the last three overs.

Kent were then set the task of chasing down 203 inside 32 overs and they went about it from the off as they knocked off six runs in the first over as Sam Billings drove Chaminda Vaas for four.

The rain was to come yet again and whilst in the pavillion, it looked as there would be a resumption with the Spitfires set a revised target of 138 in eighteen overs, but just before the players were to make their way back to the middle, the heavens opened once again and umpires Stephen Gale and Richard Illingworth had no option other than to call the game off.

It will serve as another frustrating day for the players and staff of Kent as their summer is eclipsed once more by the weather.

From here, they are back to Tunbridge Wells on Tuesday evening for the first Twenty 20 game of the season with Sussex Sharks the visitors. Play is scheduled to start at 5:30pm.

Kent won the toss and elected to field

Kent side: Key, Billings, Nash, Stevens, Northeast, Harmison, Jones, Tredwell, Coles, Ball, Cook.

Northants side: Middlebrook, Willey, Coetzer, Wakely, O’Brien, Keogh, Murphy, Howgego, Vaas, Stone, Brooks.

Umpires: S Gale & R Illingworth

Result: Northants Steelbacks 168 for 5 (32 overs), Kent Spitfires 6 for 0 (1 over). Match Drawn.

Picture by Sarah Ansell. To see more of Sarah’s pictures visit www.sarahcanterbury.com