Kent Spitfires made it back to back Twenty 20 victories in a nine run win over the Sussex Sharks at Canterbury on Wednesday night.

The Spitfires posted 173 for 3 in their 20 overs and successfully managed to record their second win in a week as the visitors came up just short in a tight finish at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence.

Kent went into the game without skipper James Tredwell who missed out with an ankle injury whilst batsman Daniel Bell-Drummond was a late withdrawal due to personal reasons.

That saw both Brendan Nash and Ben Harmison brought into the side whilst Geraint Jones was named captain for the night.

His first success came when he won the toss and he had no hesitation in electing to bat in the Canterbury sunshine.

The Spitfires got off to the perfect start as Sam Billings and Fabian Cowdrey put on 60 for the first wicket in little over 5 overs.

Billings was in imperious form as he smashed 24 off just 14 balls before Chris Liddle bowled him for the first of his three wickets.

Liddle was to account for Cowdrey at the end of that same over as he picked out Matt Machan at point for a career best 40 off only 21 balls in an innings that included 4 fours and two magnificent sixes.

Both Brendan Nash and Darren Stevens carried on where the opening pair left off as they were happy to milk the bowling whilst picking off the bad balls.

Nash found batting a little hard on the slow pitch, whilst Stevens adopted a more aggresive approach, happy to target some of Sussex’s less experienced bowlers.

Liddle was to pick up the wicket of Nash when on 15 as he left himself too much room and was bowled with Stevens and Alex Blake comfortably seeing the side through to 173 at the end of their 20 overs.

Stevens was to pass fifty and the landmark of 3000 career T20 runs on his way to his unbeaten 67 in an innings that included three fours and four massive sixes.

Set the daunting task of chasing 174 to win, the Sharks got off to the worst possible start when Dwayne Smith picked out Alex Blake on the long on boundary, taking a great running catch to give Adam Riley a wicket.

Sussex were always in with a chance throughout their innings, but lost wickets at vital intervals with Matt Coles trapping Rory Hamilton-Brown lbw for 24.

A 68 run stand between Machan and Chris Nash saw the Sharks edge closer to their target, but Nash was to find Sam Billings on the boundary rope as he tried to dispatch Darren Stevens.

The wicket of Machan proved to be the vital one as he fell for 57, again trying to force the pace, with Billings taking another decent catch as Vernon Philander got himself amongst the wickets.

The run out of Ed Joyce at the end of the penultimate over seemed to have put the game beyond doubt with Sussex still needing 23 off the final over.

However, Scott Styris looked to have given his side half of a chance when he picked off a four and a six of the second and third balls of the final over, but Mitch Claydon was a relieved man when he saw the ball safely nestle in Brendan Nash’s hands in front of the tree on the boundary.

Michael Yardy and Will Beer failed to hit the necessary twelve runs off the final two balls and the Spitfires crowd went home delighted to have seen their side having won their first home T20 game of this campaign.

 

Kent Spitfires won the toss and elected to bat

Kent Spitfires side: Billings, Cowdrey, Nash, Stevens, Blake, Harmison, Jones, Philander, Coles, Claydon, Riley.

Sussex Sharks side: Smith, Machan, Hamilton-Brown, Styris, Nash, Joyce, Yardy, Beer, Jackson, Hatchett, Liddle.

Result: Kent Spitfires 173 for 3 (Stevens 67 not out, Cowdrey 40), Sussex Sharks 164 for 6. Kent Spitfires won by 9 runs.

Picture supplied by www.sarahansellphotography.com