Kent were outplayed by a classy New Zealand A side at Canterbury on Wednesday in the hastily arranged 50 overs per side game.

The two teams agreed to abandon all hope of getting the planned three day game going with both Monday and Tuesday lost to heavy rain, opting to stage a One Day game instead, played in white clothing and with a red ball.

With Kent deciding to bring some of their more experienced players into the side, skipper Rob Key won the toss and elected to field with Calum Haggett withdrawn from the team at the last moment, allowing Charlie Hartley the chance to feature.

For the New Zealand A side, there were a host of household names featuring with Hamish Rutherford, BJ Watling and Doug Bracewell some of the more familiar players in the Black Caps line up.

There was an early breakthrough for Kent with David Griffiths encouraging Michael Bracewell to edge him behind to Sam Billings for 12, but that only brought Dean Brownlie to the wicket and along with Rutherford the pair added 124 for the second wicket.

Rutherford was second to go, out for a stylish 56 before becoming Ben Harmison’s first victim of the day. Both Colin de Grandhomme (1) and Daryl Mitchell (3) fell cheaply to Darren Stevens with Watling scoring just eighteen before he became the fifth wicket to fall.

Todd Astle (4) was to return to the pavilion having nicked David Griffiths behind, but not before Brownlie had passed three figures, bringing up the milestone off just 91 balls and including 11 fours and a six.

Brownlie was to eventually depart for 112 as Griffiths cleaned him up, whilst England hopeful Adam Riley accounted for Doug Bracewell (7).

New Zealand’s innings came to a swift conclusion after Brownlie’s demise with Mark Craig run out by Daniel Bell-Drummond for 13 with Matt Henry the last man out, bowled by Harmison for 0.

Having set Kent 240 to win, the Kiwis made no mistake in mopping up the batting line up with only openers Rob Key (19) and Daniel Bell-Drummond making it to double figures.

Kent got off to a solid reply with the opening pair guiding the home side to 33 for 0 in the 7th over in front of the sparce crowd at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, but the fall of Key, edging Bennett to Watling started the most spectacular collapse.

Ben Harmison (3) was to last just six balls before he was trapped lbw by Henry with just ten more runs added when Bell-Drummond was lbw to Bracewell for 19.

At 46 for 3, Kent needed to rebuild and fast, but Alex Blake came and went without troubling the scorers giving Bracewell a hat-trick chance.

Sam Billings survived the hat-trick ball, but not much more as he nicked Bennett behind for 3 with Charlie Hartley departing in similar fashion to Henry for 4.

When Darren Stevens (9) fell off the next ball of the next over giving Mark Craig his first wicket, Kent fans feared the worst and with it went any hope of salvaging the game.

Both David Griffiths (0) and Ivan Thomas (1) were to become Craig’s second and third victims and with Brendan Nash unable to bat with a foot injury, the innings came to a close with Kent on 67 for 9 and the tourists had won by 172 runs.

The only consolation for Kent from this game will be that not many fans were there to witness it and in truth, it matters not as all focus is on Friday’s Royal London Cup Quarter Final with Gloucestershire at Canterbury.

However, concerns over the fitness of both Nash and Haggett will dominate talk in the next 24 hours.
Kent won the toss and elected to bowl.

Kent side: Key, Bell-Drummond, Harmison, Stevens, Blake, Billings, Hartley, Griffiths, Riley, Thomas, Nash.

New Zealand A side: M Bracewell, Rutherford, Brownlie, de Grandhomme, Mitchell, Watling, Astle, Craig, D Bracewell, Henry, Bennett.

Umpires: SJ O’Shaughnessy & BV Taylor

Result: New Zealand A 239 all out (Brownlie 112; Griffiths 3/49), Kent 67/9 (Bell-Drummond 19; Craig 3/6). New Zealand A won by 172 runs.