Second XI miss out on Finals Day on run rate
Friday 3rd August 2018
Kent missed out on the Second XI T20 Finals Day on net run rate after a youthful side won one and lost one of the closing group stage double-header against Essex at Coggeshall.
Academy scholars past and present Jan Gray and Tom Davis impressed with the ball in both matches.
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Essex elected to bat in the first rubber with experienced opener Nick Browne’s 39 off 26 balls the only resistance as the Spitfires attack struck regularly.
Former Kent scholar Jan Gray took 2/22 with his accurate leg breaks supported by current scholar Tom Davis (3/25) and Adam Riley (2/23)
All the specialist bowlers struck with wickets for Miles Richardson (Sevenoaks Vine) and Will MacVicar (Beckenham).
Chasing 130 to win, Ollie Robinson struck eight fours and a six in a swashbuckling 41 off just 19 balls.
Cameos from Mosun Hussain, Harry Came and MacVicar saw the Spitfires home at a run a ball to win with seven wickets and 14 balls to spare.
In the second match, the hosts batted first again after Kent won the toss.
Miles Richardson (2/38) and 17-year-old Davis (3/28) made early in-roads as the hosts scored 44-3 in the powerplay.
Big-hitting all-rounder Ashar Zaidi reignited the innings with a 28-ball 50 in a stand of 63 off 46 balls with Chris Benjamin hitting a well-paced 51 not out.
Leg-spinner Gray (2/34) removed Rishi Patel and Zaidi in a fine return of 2/24 before Zak Crawley ran out Jack Plom.
In reply, Crawley (32), academy scholar Harsh Kumar (30) and Hussain (31) got starts as Kent fell 38 runs short, dismissed for 125 in 17 overs.