Kent lose to Leewards in Caribbean Super50

Kent lost to hosts Leeward Islands Hurricanes for a second time in two weeks at The Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua on the FGS Plant Tour.

Both sides were looking to bounce back from defeat but the Regional Super50 Group A leaders ran out comfortable winners under the floodlights.

Winning the toss and batting first, Hurricanes skipper Kieron Powell led by example with a fine century.

He shared an opening stand of 70 with Montcin Hodge to frustrate the new-ball pair of Calum Haggett and Matt Coles before Darren Stevens removed Hodge.

The evergreen seamer struck as the opener was caught one-handed by Coles at short mid-wicket for 24.

Nkrumah Bonner made the same score before he picked out Imran Qayyum on the boundary of the bowling of James Tredwell playing his first match on the tour after recovering from a hand injury.

Man-of-the-match Powell reached his third century in five matches before Alex Blake clung onto a catch in the deep off Matt Coles.

Former Derbyshire left-hander Chesney Hughes was the next to go as Coles took a smart return catch.

Home favourite Rakheem Cornwall was the next man in and the big Antiguan all-rounder smashed three fours and three sixes in his 43 off 28 balls before Haggett stopped the onslaught as he picked out Alex Blake.

Kent fought back by taking five wickets in the final seven overs but not before Gavin Tonge (28* off 20 balls) helped Leewards to a formidable total on a slow pitch.

Coles finished with 4/52 off ten overs as Dickson took a clever juggled catch on the rope to remove Peters before a second smart return catch dismissed Hosein.

Calum Haggett earned a second scalp as Alzarri Joseph picked out Sean Dickson on the boundary in the final over.

In reply, Kent started strongly before West Indies pacemen present and past struck.

Daniel Bell-Drummond fell in the fourth over to an excellent catch by Hosein at point off Joseph for 14.

Dickson’s dismissal in the following over for 5, LBW to Gavin Tonge unsettled the Kent reply.

Sam Northeast look well set at 17 before Darren Stevens’ ambitious single resulted in the Kent captain being run out expertly by Orlando Peters at the striker’s end.

Stevens followed soon after, nicking the slow left-arm of Hosein to fellow spinner Cornwall at slip for 20 as Kent slipped to 60 for four.

The left-handed duo of Will Gidman and Alex Blake temporarily steadied the ship with a stand of 40 as the run rate continued to creep up and put pressure on the pair to accelerate.

Gidman fell caught-and-bowled by Hosein and Adam Rouse followed two overs later, caught behind for 1 off the last ball of Cornwall’s spell.

After a brief rain delay, Kent changed tack knowing all-out attack was the only approach.

Blake smeared five fours and a towering six off Joseph as he top-scored with 44 after a patient start before the West Indies paceman bowled him with a slower ball.

Hosein was replaced by another slow left-armer Jason Campbell who accounted for Haggett (caught Cornwall at short cover) and Coles.

The latter bludgeoned three huge sixes in a cameo of 27 off 16 balls before he holed out to Tonge before Joseph ended with 3/62 from 9.3 overs.

Kent now have three days to prepare the final three group games in five days.

Next up is Trinidad & Tobago on Wednesday (1pm GMT) before matches against Windward Islands on Friday (5.30pm GMT, live on BT Sport ESPN) and West Indies U19s next Sunday (13 February, 1pm GMT).