CB40: Leicestershire v Kent match preview

Leicestershire Foxes v Kent Spitfires
Clydesdale Bank 40 – Group C
Monday, 30 August 2010. 1.45pm start
Grace Road, Leicester

Kent“s cricketers continue their whistle-stop tour of the country as they move onto Leicester to take on the Foxes in a crucial Bank Holiday CB40 clash at Grace Road.

Kent, captained by Rob Key (pictured), are onto the second leg of four games in seven days, at four different away venues, and with still much to play for after Sunday“s 20 run victory over Hampshire at the Rose Bowl. Victory in the east midlands could go a long way to sealing a CB40 semi-final berth.

The Foxes themselves are out of the competition having endured a disappointing campaign, epitomised when they faced the Spitfires in the corresponding fixture earlier in the month at the St Lawrence Ground. The visitors batted first and made a blazing start with James Benning (37) and James Taylor (22) leading the way, but once Matthew Boyce was dismissed for just two the Foxes were 93-4 and soon the innings soon fell away as a wily spell of leg-spin bowling from Malinga Bandara tore Matthew Hoggard“s side apart. The Sri-Lankan returned fine figures of 5-35 as the Foxes collapsed to 148 all-out in the 31st over. Occasional off-spinner Martin van Jaarsveld also chipped in with 3-23.

The Spitfires top order then made extremely light work of the run-chase. Joe Denly (39) and Key (26) put on 52 for the opening wicket in no time before van Jaarsveld raced to a quick fire fifty as he, and Geraint Jones (25 off 24 balls), saw the home side through to their victory target with 14 overs and eight wickets to spare. The crushing victory put the Spitfires CB40 qualification bid firmly back on track.

Going into the game, Kent sit just a point behind Nottinghamshire, who are second, and two points behind leaders Warwickshire.

Kent have named an unchanged 12-man squad for the fixture at Grace Road: Key (C), Denly, van Jaarsveld, Jones (W), Stevens, Blake, Northeast, Tredwell, Coles, Cook, Bandara, Nel.

Picture:Sarah Ansell