Qayyum takes 2 wickets on One-Day Cup debut
Spinner Imran Qayyum got the prized scalp of England’s record Test run-scorer as Kent Spitfires bowed out with a rain-affected defeat to Essex Eagles in the Royal London One-Day Cup.
Alastair Cook was the first wicket to fall as the visitors scored 95 for the first wicket before Varum Chopra (83) also fell to Qayyum give Essex the perfect platform of 168-2 after being invited to bat by home skipper Sam Northeast.
Kent rang the changes with recalls for Qayyum, Sean Dickson, Adam Ball and a senior debut for Kent Cricket Academy graduate Zak Crawley.
Every Essex batsman got a start and all-rounders Ravi Bopara, Ashar Zaidi and Ryan ten Doeschate scored at more than a run a ball.
Calum Haggett took 2/59 and Ivan Thomas bowled some nice variations to claim figures of 1/47, the most economical bowler on show for the Spitfires.
Dan Lawrence and Ashar Zaidi found Daniel Bell-Drummond in the deep, looking to increase the run rate off the bowling of Thomas and Charlie Hartley (1/62) respectively.
In reply, Kent were forced to bat in the rain to force a result and the loss of Crawley, Northeast and Dickson before a sharp shower meant a 57-run Duckworth-Lewis loss after just 11 overs of the reply.
Daniel Bell-Drummond (25 not out) did no harm to his prospects of qualifying as one of the top four England-qualified players to gain automatic qualification to the 2018 North v South series in the UAE.
Kent return to red-ball action this weekend before our next home match in the Specsavers County Championship against Sussex at Tunbridge Wells next weekend