Gloucestershire repeated last year’s success at The County Ground, Beckenham to record victory in fading light ably led by opening batsman Hamish Marshall’s half century.

Having gone into the month of June without tasting defeat in any competition Kent have now lost twice in two days whilst tonight’s visitors recorded back-to-back victories.

Winning the toss the visitors elected to bowl first although when interviewed home captain Sam Northeast suggested he would have chosen to bat first regardless – The Spitfires kept faith with the side that lost at Hampshire only 24hrs earlier – Matt Hunn and Tom Latham missing out.

After a positive early opening between Daniel Bell-Drummond and Joe Denly where both got off the mark looking to rotate the strike what has proved to be an excellent foundation failed to come off for once as Denly lost his wicket hitting Liam Norwell straight to Jack Taylor at mid-off (2, 13/1).

Looking to maximise the power-play Bell-Drummond showed his form and intent as he struck Norwell for four boundaries in a single over however as the power-play came to a close Bell-Drummond fell to a loose shot straight into the evening sky with Gareth Roderick patiently awaiting the balls return to earth (25, 40/2).

As the hosts approached the halfway point of the innings, Sam Billings, fresh from his stint in the IPL, disappointingly got out early once again, mirroring Bell-Drummond’s dismissal lofting a ball high into the sky for Norwell to take the catch (7, 65/3) with new batsman Darren Stevens striking his first ball for four through the off-side.

At the halfway point the hosts had accumulated sixty-nine for the loss of three wickets.

Looking to push on boundaries and gaps in the field were tough to find and in looking to manipulate openings Stevens missed a straight Andrew Tye ball when trying to cut it through the off-side (11, 83/4).

Keen to get the scoreboard ticking over and get the run-rate up captain Northeast aimed long and high, but not long enough as Ian Cockbain at long-on took the catch (35, 90/5) – Northeast scoring well with 35 from 34 deliveries.

However at 90/5 the hosts were struggling losing wickets and running out of overs to generate a seriously competitive and defendable total.

Despite Alex Blake coming to the wicket the hosts stuttered to three figures in the sixteenth over – Blake out of sorts and perhaps showing the difficultly in the wicket and with credit to the opposition as he could only muster a single boundary in his run-a-ball innings of 24* – Even facing a free-ball, Blake could only get a single.

Fabian Cowdrey chipped in with eighteen from only fourteen balls but then drove aerially and straight at Chris Dent (18, 121/6) and Kent’s innings closed as Matt Coles was run out on the final ball (8, 144/7).

Andrew Tye proved a thorn in Kent’s side with 3/18 off his four over’s whilst Benny Howell once again enjoyed playing in BR3 with 2/25 after taking 3/18 at the same ground last season.

The Spitfires could only manage eleven boundaries – four of which came in a single over early on with no sixes.

If home fans thought The Spitfires could be in with a shout of victory early inroads would have been needed however experienced opening pair Hamish Marshall and Michael Klinger, the latter a match-winner with 69* at Beckenham last season, put paid to that.

With relative ease the pair generated the largest partnership of the game pushing past fifty at the end of the six-over power-play.

However as Kent introduced James Tredwell and Fabian Cowdrey, taking the pace off the ball, runs began to dry up and so the breakthrough arrived – Klinger holing out to Blake (27, 66/1).

At halfway the impact of the slower bowlers showed – The opening five overs had produced forty-nine runs, the next five only twenty-five – The visitors 74/1 but still we placed for victory.

Leading by example Marshall struck the first six of the match off Tredwell with Cockbain matching him with one of his own off David Griffiths as the over went for a seemingly decisive thirteen runs.

With light fading Marshall brought up a fine half-century (31b, 5×4, 1×6).

With four overs remaining and the visitors requiring eighteen to win Stevens dropped Marshall (55) but Ivan Thomas wasn’t to be denied as he tempted Cockbain to tickle one down leg-side with Billings taking the catch (37, 130/2).

So eighteen balls left and Gloucestershire requiring fourteen to win, Stevens with the ball and out, Marshall succumbed for a fine 56 (42b 5×4 1×6) – The visitors 132/3 – Was there to be a twist in the tale?

With two overs remaining Matt Coles took the ball but with the umpires immediately conferring Kent’s opening bowler gave the ball up to Thomas – The light deemed insufficient to allow Coles to bowl.

The Kent youngster bowled an excellent over giving Stevens and The Spitfires the chance for an unlikely victory with Gloucestershire requiring six to win from the final over.

Unfortunately it wasn’t to be for Kent as the final over was short-lived – Howell running a single to give Dent the strike and the next ball sailing over Stevens’ head and into the main stand for six.

So disappointment for The Spitfires having started the season so strongly but now suffering two consecutive defeats – On Sunday they change formats to the Royal London One Day Cup and a fifty-over a side game versus Surrey at The County Ground, Beckenham, with an 11am start.

 

Kent: 144/7 (Northeast 35, Bell-Drummond 25, Blake 24*; Tye 3/18, Howell 2/25)

Glouc: 146/3 (Marshall 56, Cockbain 37, Klinger 27)

Gloucestershire (2pts) beat Kent (0) by seven wickets