Captain Rob Key is included in Kent Spitfires’ squad to face Hampshire on Friday night, despite missing Wednesday’s defeat against Surrey through injury.

The skipper missed Wednesday night’s eight-wicket NatWest T20 Blast loss at The Oval with a tight hamstring, and will undergo a fitness test prior to the start of Kent’s next match in the competition against Hampshire on Friday night to prove he is ready for a return to return to the side.

With Key included, Kent have named an unchanged 13-man squad for the visit of the side currently sat in third place in the South Group, as the Spitfires look to end a run of five matches in the competition without a win.

Speaking about the squad that he had selected, Kent Head Coach Jimmy Adams spoke of the importance of the skipper’s infulence, and the fact that nothing less than a win was needed if Kent were to maintain any hopes of a quarter-final appearance.

“We are hopeful that Rob will be fine Friday night because as the skipper and leading batsman he adds a lot to the team”, Adams said.

“This has now become one of those ‘must-win’ matches if we are going to make the top four in the group and play in the quarter-finals.”

Fabian Cowdrey, who replaced Key in the XI after the skipper pulled out late on, was a rare bright note on a tough night for the Spitfires at The Oval, as he hit a career-best T20 score of 55 from 45 balls and took 1-20 from four overs with his left-arm spin.

Stand-in skipper Darren Stevens also impressed, making an unbeaten 56 from 38 balls in his typically aggressive and pugnacious style, and the all-rounder is set to take the captaincy reins again should Key miss out.

Cowdrey was hopeful that his performance against Surrey, in his first T20 appearance of the season, would give him a chance to maintain his place in the limited overs side.

“I definitely think I gave myself a chance”, the 21-year-old told KSN.

“Obviously Keysy’s coming back into it, and I know I’m not definitely going to play just because of that performance. I just hope that if I get another chance, I take it again.”

The squad selected also means that Doug Bollinger is once again rested, as he continues to suffer from a sore shoulder.

The Spitfires really do need a win from the game if they have any ambitions of still sneaking a quarter-final place, after a series of disappointing results in the competition in recent weeks.

Going into the game, recent history is not really in the Spitfires’ favour, with Hampshire having not lost an away T20 match against Kent for more than five years.

This season, Kent’s first defeat of their T20 Blast campaign came in the reverse fixture just under a month ago, when Hampshire picked up a 22-run win at The Ageas Bowl.

The visitors’ XI is set to feature a number of recognisable faces, including former Kent men Matt Coles and Michael Carberry, as well as T20 specialist Glenn Maxwell, and in-form skipper James Vince; a man being touted by many for an England call-up in the near future.

 

The NatWest T20 Blast fixture between Kent Spitfires and Hampshire begins at 7pm on Friday night at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, Canterbury.

 

Kent squad to face Hampshire: Bell-Drummond, Key*, Cowdrey, Northeast, Stevens, Blake, Billings†, Ball, Tredwell, Claydon, Riley, Harmison, Hartley

Hampshire squad to face Kent: Vince*, Carberry, Adams, Ervine, Maxwell, Smith, Coles, Wood, Bates†, Abbott, Briggs, Shah, Wheater