DBD and Northeast hit 50s as Spitfires beat Somerset
Tuesday 14th June 2016
In-form opener Daniel Bell-Drummond top-scored with 68 and Ivan Thomas took a one-day career-best 3-31 as Kent Spitfires defeated Somerset by 95 runs in the Royal London One-Day Cup.
In a contest reduced to 30 overs per side due to persistent morning showers, play started at 2.30pm at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence with Kent invited to bat first by visiting skipper Jim Allenby.
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Daniel Bell-Drummond and Joe Denly shared a patient stand of 56 before skipper Sam Northeast injected momentum after Denly was caught in the deep by Adam Hose for 12.
The 22-year-old opener reached his ninth 50 of the summer off 32 balls on his way to the Iconic by Fitzgerald Man of the Match award, hitting eight boundaries and a six in a brisk but stylish innings.
Northeast reached his half-century off 35 balls before departing to the leg spin of Max Waller for 64.
Aggressive cameos from Sam Billings (29) and Alex Blake (36*) helped Kent pass 200.
Billings displayed some of his 360-degree repertoire of shots before a spectacular catch by Waller on the mid-wicket boundary off Gregory.
Darren Stevens and Fabian Cowdrey fell in quick succession as Kent accelerated past 200 to set a tricky 232 victory target that never looked under threat.
Matt Coles struck in his first over from the Nackington Road end, finding the outside edge of opener Myburgh, snaffled behind by an agile Billings catch.
Stevens entered the attack in the ninth over and struck in successive balls, trapping Hose LBW before bowling Allenby with a delightful ball that nipped away to clip the off stump of the Somerset skipper.
Fabian Cowdrey, on his return to the Spitfires line-up, accounted for Peter Trego and Lewis Gregory, both caught in the deep by Matt Coles.
James Tredwell removed Hildreth to reduce the visitors to 64-6 and effectively end their hopes of an unlikely chase.
However, an enterprising stand by Roland van der Merwe and Alex Barrow frustrated Kent, adding 53 for the seventh wicket before Thomas mopped up the tail, removing both men and Max Waller in successive overs.
Barrow smashed Thomas for six over the advancing Matt Coles at mid-wicket before the same fielder caught the next delivery after the Somerset ‘keeper miscued into the grateful hands of the Kent all-rounder.
His partner departed in Thomas’ next over as van der Merwe edged to Billings before Waller found Coles who claimed his fourth catch of the afternoon at long-on, equalling the best-ever haul by Graham Johnson, Chris Tavare and David Fulton.
The 2015 player of the year returned to the attack to bowl Craig Overton to seal a comprehensive 95-run win.