Kent Spitfires v Sussex Sharks (Fri, 7pm)

The 166th Canterbury Cricket Week starts on Friday as an unchanged Kent Spitfires squad face Sussex Sharks in the NatWest T20 Blast (7pm start).

It is the first of three floodlit Friday night T20s in a row at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence as Sam Northeast’s men look to end the group stage strongly.

Click here to book tickets for Friday’s kmfm Ladies Night T20 v Sussex

Superb death bowling was the difference for Kent in a fine NatWest T20 Blast win at Hampshire on Tuesday after some under-par displays earlier in the group stage.

Head coach Matt Walker said: “It’s not easy for a fast bowler, or any bowler in T20 cricket. If you look around the division at the scores posted, particularly in the powerplay overs, it’s brutal.

“Sometimes we might be quick to criticise our bowlers but they are working very hard on their variations and bowling to our fields.

“The death bowlers held their nerve well and the captain was brilliant in juggling the bowlers around to keep the batsmen guessing.

“We still haven’t produced an all-round performance with bat and ball but we trust the group of players. We have an exciting batting line-up and you often only need one or two players to come off to win a game. That’s the nature of the format.

“It’s a very tough group and everyone is capable of beating everyone.”

New Zealand paceman Adam Milne misses out as he continues his recovery from a thigh injury.

Sussex have injury doubts over former skipper Luke Wright (back) and England T20 paceman Tymal Mills returns to the squad.

Kent Spitfires squad: 23 Daniel Bell-Drummond, 6 Joe Denly, 17 Sam Northeast (c), 7 Sam Billings (wk), 83 Jimmy Neesham, 10 Alex Blake, 3 Darren Stevens, 25 Calum Haggett, 26 Matt Coles, 15 James Tredwell, 8 Mitch Claydon, 11 Imran Qayyum

Sussex Sharks squad: 23 Chris Nash, 28 Phil Salt, 16 Ross Taylor (c), 26 Ben Brown (wk), 32 Laurie Evans, 96 David Wiese, 8 Chris Jordan, 74 Stiaan van Zyl, 22 Jofra Archer, 18 Will Beer, 21 Danny Briggs, 27 George Garton, 7 Tymal Mills

Click here to book tickets for Friday’s kmfm Ladies Night T20 v Sussex

Kent Spitfires v Sussex Sharks stats:

• The Sharks have earned only a solitary win in their last six meetings with the Spitfires (T1, L4).
• Kent Spitfires will be searching to avoid back-to-back losses on home turf for the first time since June 2015.
• Joe Denly became the top run-scorer in the tournament on Tuesday
• Stiaan van Zyl blasted 42* off only 22 balls in the most recent away game involving Sussex Sharks (191 SR).