Kent Spitfires made it back-to-back wins at the start of the 2021 Vitality Blast when they defeated Middlesex by 16 runs on Friday evening.

After a slow start and finding themselves 47/4, Jack Leaning (64) and Jordan Cox (64) put on a hundred partnership to help the hosts to 178/8, a total defended majorly in thanks to Darren Stevens (3/32) and Fred Klaassen (1/25).

Middlesex captain Eoin Morgan won the toss and opted to bowl, and Joe Denly was off the mark with a fine cut for one off the first ball. Daniel Bell-Drummond then cut his first ball for a boundary as Kent registered seven from the first over.

Morgan opted for more spin in the form of Chris Green at the opposite end following Surrey’s fast start with the bat against pace in Middlesex’ loss on Thursday, and his first over saw six added.

Blake Cullen’s first ball went for four, and Bell-Drummond backed up Denly with a nice four down the ground off the third. The Kent captain again went hard with it clear the home side wanted to target Cullen, but he skied an effort straight up with Morgan taking an easy catch to see Bell-Drummond on his way for 15.

The batsmen crossed and Cullen then had the other opener too, with Denly edging behind to John Simpson for a run-a-ball 10.

Number three Ollie Robinson drove Steven Finn for back-to-back fours down the ground, but the former England man got his revenge with a rising delivery that the Kent wicketkeeper could only guide into the hands of Middlesex stopper John Simpson.

Alex Blake saw off Cullen’s hattrick ball, but a mis-timed pull shot almost saw him caught at deep square leg – the ball fell short.

Blake and Jack Leaning marshalled the rest of the powerplay to drag Kent to 42/3, but Blake was stumped off the first ball of the eighth over off the bowling of Chris Green, losing his footing to a wide. Kent were in big trouble at 47/4 and needing a partnership.

Men with history of a partnership, Jack Leaning and Jordan Cox, were left to pick up the pieces. Cox smashed Nathan Sowter for a big six down the ground to release some pressure, but Kent found themselves on the back foot at 69/4 at the halfway stage of their batting innings.

Cox and Leaning dug in and the 50 partnership was brought up with a slap through point for four by Leaning, with the 100 up via a Cullen no ball the ball after. 

A misfield then brought Jordan Cox four more, and a big six over the leg side boundary allowed Leaning to add to his total as Kent passed 130.

Jordan Cox’s 50 was brought up from 35 balls with a big six down the ground off Sowter as Kent edged towards a decent target, and Leaning pulled the first ball of the 18^th over for six more. The 100-partnership followed, and then the 150 was on the board with just over two overs to go.

Middlesex began to take pace off the ball but Leaning and Cox continued to push, running three when Simpson fumbled a wide off Bamber in the 19^th, and Leaning dispatched a Bamber full toss for six to reach his 50 from 38 balls.

The 19^th over ended up going for a total of 18 runs to take Kent past 170, but Chris Green struck back with the first ball of the last over, with Cox holing out to Max Holden for a very important 64. Leaning continued his onslaught though and hit another six square.

He did gift Eoin Morgan an easy catch the next ball however to depart for a more-than-handy 64, before Darren Stevens was stumped first ball.

Matt Milnes faced the last ball and Green had a hattrick, with Milnes slapping to point to give the Australian four in the over.

Kent had however managed to work their ways to 178/8 – an impressive effort considering their start.

Middlesex openers Stevie Eskinazi and Paul Stirling soon made their ways to the middle for the reply, with Joe Denly opening the bowling for Kent. 

Eskinazi cut the first ball for four, but was out third ball, caught behind by Robinson for just four.

Denly’s first over went for just the boundary with the wicket, and Bell-Drummond went with spin from both ends too with James Logan on from the Pavilion End. 

And Logan was in business straight away. Paul Stirling inexplicably charged his first ball and Logan’s first ball and holed out to Alex Blake at long-off for a golden duck, leaving the visitors 4/2 from seven balls.

Skipper Eoin Morgan was in at four and drove Matt Milnes down the ground for his first boundary, and pulled for four more off the last ball of the over as England’s World Cup winning captain began to get into the swing of things.

The visitors closed the powerplay on 39/2, but Eoin Morgan took a liking to Darren Stevens, dispatching him for six down the ground. Robbie White couldn’t replicate things however, edging the veteran behind to Robinson for 10, leaving Middlesex 48/3.

An LBW appeal against Simpson was turned down, but he was on his way next ball, caught by Logan running over his shoulder off the bowling of Jack Leaning for four.

Darren Stevens then stole the limelight again in dismissing the England captain. Morgan moved legside and Stevens followed him, with the batsman cutting to Daniel Bell-Drummond at point for 27 and to leave his side in a bit of a mess at 55/5.

Lewis Hollman reverse swept Leaning for four to try and fight back, but the run rate was well over 11 by this point. 

Hollman then dealt Matt Milnes three fours as Middlesex registered 15 from the 12^th over, and then reverse swept the first ball of the 13^th for four more. 

Green then got in on the act as Middlesex began to get back into things, dealing a six to Stevens, but the veteran had the last laugh, causing Green to chop on the very next ball for 16. He eventually finished with figures of 3/32 from his allocation.

Nathan Sowter hammered Jack Leaning’s final ball down the ground for six with Middlesex requiring well over two a ball. Klaassen dropped Hollman on 31, and the all-rounder then smashed Stewart for six to leave Middlesex needing 34 runs from the final two overs.

Back-to-back fours took Hollman past 50 and he and Sowter past a 50 partnership, but Klaassen had Hollman caught at mid-off by Alex Blake for 51 to swing the game majorly in Kent’s favour.

Matt Milnes got in on the act in the final over, having Blake Cullen too caught by Blake, and the bowler saw his side over the line, with Kent winning their second game from two at the start of the 2021 Vitality Blast by 16 runs. 

Kent Spitfires’ Jack Leaning said: “I think Vitality Blast Cricket is a lot about momentum. We had a really good day on Wednesday so it was nice to back it up tonight and from a bit of a different position to the first win, so the boys are delighted. We (Jordan Cox and I) seem to score a lot of runs together in both forms of the game.  

“We tried to slow it down and knew that if we could try and score at sevens and eights in the middle and be there at the end we could up the rate. If you set yourself too big a target too early it becomes a bit difficult.” 

Middlesex’s Chris Green: “I really felt that was a game that got away from us. It was a fantastic start with the ball from us, particularly bouncing back from the game at Lord’s with Surrey and I thought the total was a respectable one, we just weren’t able to keep it together through the middle with the bat. That’s the game, there’s always going to be one partnership and it’s just taking it late and having those wickets and that opportunity to launch. When chasing we needed someone there with Luke Hollman.”