The Kent Spitfires booked their place in the semi-finals of the Royal London Cup with a tight win over Gloucestershire at Canterbury on Friday night.

Rob Key’s side held their nerve to win by 24 runs at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence to book an away tie against Warwickshire in the semi-final next Thursday.

It was Key that won the toss and elected to bat on a slow pitch and had to go into the game without the injured Brendan Nash or Calum Haggett.

After a sluggish start and with Gloucestershire bowling some tight lines, Kent lost skipper Rob Key in the fifth over of the game for just two as he nicked David Payne behind to the waiting gloves of Gareth Roderick.

If that wasn’t bad enough, Ben Harmison lasted just one ball as he was trapped lbw by Payne with Fabian Cowdrey narrowly surviving the hat-trick ball.

A period of rebuilding then followed with Sam Northeast and Cowdrey seeing the side through to 35 for 2 at the end of the tenth over. The pair were to bring up their fifty partnership in the 19th over as Gloucestershire continued to put the squeeze on.

Some scary running between the wickets for Northeast and Cowdrey gave some cause for concern, but the pair had taken the side through to 95 for 2 at the end of the 25th over.

Northeast was to bring up his fifty first off 83 balls in the 27th over with a lovely straight drive down the ground with Cowdrey following suit in the next over, but off only 66 balls. Just a few balls later and the pair brought up their century partnership.

The joy of passing fifty didn’t last long though for Cowdrey as he was superbly caught by Alex Gidman off brother Will’s bowling for 51 leaving Kent on 117/3.

Anyone having come to the ground expecting fireworks from Darren Stevens were to be disappointed as the all-rounder made just 12 before chipping David Payne down to Ian Cockbain at long on.

With almost 35 overs gone and Kent failing to find the boundaries at regular intervals, in came Sam Billings and the wicketkeeper batsman went for the bowling from the off.

The 23 year old hustled and bustled between the wickets whilst smashing the bad balls to the boundary. He was to bring up his fifty in no time at all with Sam Northeast the fifth man out as he was bowled by Craig Miles for a well compiled 78.

Just as Billings was in full flow, the local crowd were to be disappointed when he was dismissed for 61, bowled by Payne.

His innings lasted just 36 balls, but in that time he had put the ball to the boundary ten times, with seven fours and three massive sixes.

Alex Blake struggled to get going and was dismissed for just 4 as he was given lbw to Howell leaving the side still searching for more runs on 226/7 in the 46th over.

With the loss of Billings still affecting the run rate, Kent found that wickets were to fall cheaply and they were ultimately bowled out for 242 in the 49th over.

Adam Ball was to become Payne’s fourth victim as he was given lbw for 6, although it appeared on the replay that the ball had pitched outside leg stump.

Meanwhile, Mitchell Claydon adopted a no nonsense approach going for some aggresive batting, but was out one ball after smacking Miles down the ground for four, clean bowled for 8.

The innings was finally wrapped up when number eleven Adam Riley chipped Payne to Alex Gidman at cover for 0 setting Gloucestershire 243 to win.

Both Chris Dent and Will Tavare looked to get Gloucestershire off to an electric start, taking on the bowlers from the first ball of their innings, but Tavare was unstuck on 19 when he chipped Ben Harmison to Adam Riley at mid on.

Dent really took it to the Kent attack, but lost his wicket in the 15th over as Fabian Cowdrey came on and trapped him lbw with his gentle left arm off spin for 40 leaving Gloucestershire 74 for 2.

Changing to the Nackington Road End, Darren Stevens made the breakthrough Kent so desperately needed when he got Ian Cockbain to play on for just three leaving the visitors on 86 for 3 at the end of the 17th over.

No sooner had New Zealander Hamish Marshall walked to the crease, he was on his way back to the pavilion when he chipped Adam Riley back to the Kent spinner for 0 and it was 87 for 4.

With the pressure beginning to mount and Kent putting the squeeze on, Gloucestershire began to implode and now bowling from the Pavilion End, Cowdrey picked up the crucial wicket of Alex Gidman for 4 as he chipped him straight to Darren Stevens at cover.

Gareth Roderick looked to be the one batsman that was truly in, but he fell on 43 when he slammed Ben Harmison up in the air with Darren Stevens having plenty of time to settle underneath the ball and take the simplest of catches.

At 125 for 6, the visiting side still needed another 118 runs to win and despite Will Gidman and Benny Howell giving it their best shot at picking off the rare bad ball from the Kent bowlers, Rob Key rotated the attack well and kept the batsmen guessing.

Despite needing over a run a ball at one stage, the Gloucestershire batsmen kept their side in the game and began to chalk off the runs required bringing it down to 65 to win and despite bowling three wides in the over, David Griffiths eventually found the target and bowled Gidman for 39.

Jack Taylor came in at nine and after some prodding around decided to attack Adam Riley, slamming a six straight into the new Lime Tree Cafe. His innings came to an end though on 16 with Gloucestershire seemingly getting back into the game, edging Ben Harmison through to Sam Billings leaving his side needing 39 off 34 balls.

Two overs later and Benny Howell was on his way back too as he was bowled by Claydon for 33 and with him went Gloucestershire’s hopes.

Just one more run was added to the score when the game was wrapped up when David Griffiths bowled David Payne for 0 and that ended the Gloucestershire innings on  218 and Kent had won by 24 runs.

 

Kent won the toss and elected to bat

Kent side: SA Northeast, RWT Key*, BW Harmison, FK Cowdrey, DI Stevens, AJ Blake, SW Billings†, AJ Ball, ME Claydon, DA Griffiths, AEN Riley.

Gloucs side: CDJ Dent, WA Tavare, APR Gidman, HJH Marshall, IA Cockbain, BAC Howell, WRS Gidman, GH Roderick, JMR Taylor, CN Miles, DA Payne.

Umpires: SJ O’Shaughnessy and P Willey

TV umpire: AG Wharf

Result: Kent Spitfires 242 all out (Northeast 78, Billings 61; Payne 5/44), Gloucestershire 218 all out (Roderick 43; Harmison 3/40). Kent won by 24 runs.