DBD and Denly record stand in 8-wicket T20 Blast win
Friday 20th May 2016
Daniel Bell-Drummond and Joe Denly posted the highest T20 opening stand of all time for Kent Spitfires as they chased 198 to beat Somerset in the opening NatWest T20 Blast of 2016.
A packed crowd at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence enjoyed a dazzling display of big hitting from both sides as Somerset won the toss and batted first on a belting battng tack at Canterbury.
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Short boundaries invited attacking shots around the park with Jim Allenby 91 and Peter Trego’s 57 set the Spitfires a daunting total.
Only Fabian Cowdrey (3/18 off three overs), David Griffiths (2/33 off four overs) and Mitch Claydon (1/35) returned single-figure economy rates.
Bell-Drummond hit a career-best 83 off 47 balls to win the Iconic Man of the Match award as he shared a record T20 partnership for any wicket of 150 with Joe Denly, surpassing the previous best of 135.
Fresh from a Championship double century in midweek, Denly hit five boundaries and six sixes in a fluent 75 using the pace of the wicket with orthodox straight and cover drives.
Skipper Sam Northeast’s quickfire 27 off 14 balls nudged Kent close to the line before Darren Stevens smashed a six and four before Bell-Drummond’s tenth four sealed the win.