The Kent Spitfires made it two wins inside two days with an emphatic six wicket victory over the Warwickshire Bears on Monday evening.

Set just a paultry target of 93 after winning the toss and bowling the Bears out, the Spitfires went about their task with ease, chasing down the total in little over twenty overs.

Darren Stevens picked up the man of the match award for taking 4 for 25, whilst taking three catches and scoring seven runs, but in the end it was a decent all round display from the whole side as they pulled level with the Bears at the top of Group C in the CB40.

Rob Key’s side got off to the perfect start as Laurie Evans edged Azhar Mahmood into the waiting gloves of Geraint Jones and in his next over Mahmood had Will Porterfield clip him to Alex Blake at square leg.

5 for 2 soon became 5 for 3 as Jim Troughton nicked Mark Davies to Stevens at slip and things got even worse for the home side when Darren Maddy went the same way with the score on fifteen.

Slight resistance from Tim Ambrose and Rikki Clarke was soon ended when the former clipped Simon Cook to Stevens at slip.

It was then a Stevens turn to get himself a wicket as he bowled Ateeq Javid behind his legs as he made too room.

New Zealand spinner Jeetan Patel lasted just three balls before he lofted Cook to Northeast at mid on and when Keith Barker edged Stevens to Mahmood at slip, diving forward to take a sharp chance, the home side were in deep trouble at 57 for 8.

Clarke and Paul Best put on 27 for the ninth wicket before the latter became Stevens’ third victim of the innings when on 15 as he edged to Key in the slips, again taking a fine catch.

The innings was wrapped up by Stevens in his next over as Chris Wright was trapped lbw plum in front to end the Bears innings on just 92.

Kent’s reply saw Sam Billings looking to repeat his heroics of the day before, but he had made just eight when nicked a wide one from Wright to Porterfield at slip.

Skipper Rob Key had made twenty when he was given out lbw to Barker with Sam Northeast out the same way to Darren Maddy when on 13, although it appeared to have been missing leg stump.

Stevens looked to get on with things as the Spitfires chased down the modest total, but it turned out to be his undoing as he got a thick inside edge onto his off stump when on seven.

It was down to Mahmood (20 not out) and Blake (18 not out) to see the side comfortably home with almost half of the overs still to be bowled.

With three games to play in the CB40, next up for the Spitfires is a trip to Northampton on Sunday. Before that, Kent have the small matter of a Championship game with Gloucestershire to play starting at Bristol on Wednesday.

 

Kent won the toss and elected to bowl

Warwickshire side: Porterfield, Evans, Troughton, Ambrose, Maddy, Clarke, Javid, Patel, Barker, Best, Wright.

Kent side: Key, Billings, Northeast, Stevens, Mahmood, Blake, Harmison, Jones, Cook, Davies, Riley.

Umpires: N Cowley & J Evans.

Result: Warwickshire Bears 92 all out (30.4 overs), Kent Spitfires 93 for 4 (20.2 overs). Kent Spitfires won by six wickets.

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