Kent outscore Surrey in final two-day warm-up match
Kent skipper Daniel Bell-Drummond led from the front by top-scoring with 52 before retiring as Kent put on 213/4 in 37 overs, replying to Surrey’s 184/4 in 39.4 overs, at the Kia Oval in South London.
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Bell-Drummond was supported by birthday boy Ben Compton (49 retired), Jack Leaning (41) & Harry Finch (39) on an eventful second day at the Oval, after only 4.1 overs of play were possible on Day One on Thursday.
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Kent’s bowlers had instruction to take wickets on Day One after an uncontested Toss gave the Spitfires a stern test, two England openers in Rory Burns & Dom Sibley, before rain curtailed any chance of wickets.
As Day Two opened, the wickets soon arrived – George Garrett, who had bowled well in Kent’s first two-day warm-up against Middlesex last time out, sent both England openers back to the pavilion – Burns chopping-on for 19 & Sibley finding Fred Klaassen at mid-wicket. At one point, the home side were 71/2 after 18.4 overs.
A peach of a delivery bamboozled Jordan Clark to make it 121/3, Clark trying to defend on the back foot just to hear the ball find his bat’s edge and Harry Finch taking a simple catch behind the stumps, and Matt Parkinson took his first red-ball wicket for Kent, bowling Cameron Steel for 39.
Surrey declared when Steel’s wicket fell, and Kent were inserted to bat to give both the Spitfires’ batters, and Surrey’s bowlers, much-needed match practice with the Vitality County Championship just one week away.
Tawanda Muyeye played in his usual style full of flair and aggression, hooking and pulling delightfully to find the boundary, before edging Clark to Sibley at first slip for 15.
Ben Compton, celebrating his 30th birthday, put on an eye-catching 49 runs before retiring to share batting duties across Kent’s side – even giving us a collector’s item, a BG Compton six, coming down the wicket to hit Steel’s off-spin over long-off.
Skipper Bell-Drummond made 52 from only 48 deliveries before himself retiring from the innings, during which time he bought up Kent’s 100 with a wonderfully-timed pull shot to hit Nathan Barnwell for six.
Leaning’s 41 included a maximum of his own alongside seven fours before finding Virdi in the deep, with the not-out batters Harry Finch on 39 & Joey Evison on nine as both sides called an end to proceedings at around 4:45pm.
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Kent supporters get their first taste of red-ball cricket at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence this season as Kent’s Men face Loughborough UCCE in a three-day match beginning on Easter Sunday, 31 March.
This match is FREE ENTRY to all, with no tickets needed to be reserved for entry.
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