Match Preview: Kent Spitfires v Warwickshire Bears, Yorkshire Bank 40

Kent Spitfires v Warwickshire Bears

Yorkshire Bank 40 – Group A

14 August, 4.40pm start

The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence

The Kent Spitfires host the Warwickshire Bears under the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence floodlights on Thursday evening as the Club plays its penultimate Yorkshire Bank 40 group match.

Team news:

The Spitfires have named a 13-man squad for this fixture, with Mark Davies and Ben Harmison added to the 11 that played at Northampton on Tuesday.

Kent: Tredwell (c), Key, Northeast, Nash, Stevens, Cowdrey, Harmison, Jones (wk), Coles, Ball, Claydon, Davies, Riley.

Players to watch:

Opener Sam Northeast is currently enjoying a rich vein of form for Kent in this competition; scoring 41, 115, 93 and 44 in his last four outings. He has now scored 358 runs at an average of 44.75 and will be looking to boost that tally in the final two games.

Warwickshire have endured a tricky campaign, but one bright spark has been the form of England Lions batsman Varun Chopra. The opener has been prolific in all forms of the game and in 40 over cricket this season he averages 43.86 with a highest score of 111.

Pre-match chat:

Kent captain James Tredwell spoke ahead of the game about the rivalry between the two sides as well as a recent clash with the Bears:

“There have been some great games between the two sides over the years and the reverse Yorkshire Bank 40 match was a cracker too. Fortunately we managed to get over the line in that one but we know that they will play some good cricket because they're a good side.

“They won the championship last year and have a strong squad of players. They’ve found it tough in this competition this year and they’re out of the running so they might have a few different faces on show. That in itself can cause issues.

“The young players will naturally want to make an impact and they might play one or two others who we maybe haven’t come up against and don’t have plans for so the game will certainly create its own challenges.”

Season so far:

Kent’s five-wicket defeat at the hands of Northamptonshire on Tuesday has all but ensured the Spitfires cannot qualify for the final-four, but victories in their final two games would put pressure on the other second placed sides across the three groups. Tredwell’s men currently sit third in the group on 12 points.

Warwickshire have struggled in the Yorkshire Bank 40 this season, propping up the rest in Group A – having won just one game from nine.

Previous meetings:

In the reverse fixture earlier this season, Kent sealed a thrilling one-run win after defending 239 at Edgbaston. The Spitfires total was powered by an unbeaten 98 from Brendan Nash and, despite a 27-ball half-century from Jeetan Patel, the Bears lost off the final ball when the New Zealander was expertly run-out by Adam Ball.

Kent were also victorious when Warwickshire came to Canterbury in last season’s competition. In a rain-affected clash, Mark Davies (3-10) ripped through the Bears top-order as the visitors could only muster 94 for seven batting first. The hosts strolled to their revised target of 96 off 26 overs without losing a wicket as Sam Billings struck a maiden List A half-century.

There's still time to secure tickets for tomorrow's all important match – and don't forget that thanks to Yorkshire Bank, kids can enjoy free entry to this fixture with a paying adult. Support your team – click here to book tickets