Match Preview: Kent Spitfires vs. Hampshire
Hampshire travel to The Spitfire Ground, St. Lawrence tomorrow (27th August) for the opening gambit of Kent Spitfires’ 2020 Vitality Blast campaign.
Kent will be able to call upon their talents of the Club’s first ever homegrown white-ball player, Alex Blake, for the first time this season: Blake has history with Hampshire, providing match-winning knocks against Hants in both 2015 & 2019 in this competition.
The left-hander hit 12 sixes for the Spitfires in last year’s competition, a joint-highest amount of maximums for Kent alongside Spitfires teammate, now England hero, Zak Crawley, who returns to a Kent squad for the first time this season.
Whilst Kent will be unable to call upon the talents of Mohammad Nabi during the tournament, the county has seen excellent performances from the Club’s young players during this year’s Bob Willis Trophy, including Jordan Cox’s 238* versus Sussex and Marcus O’Riordan’s eight wickets in four matches so far.
Sam Billings and Joe Denly are unavailable for selection after their inclusion in England’s IT20 squad to face Pakistan.
Calum Haggett is included and could make his first Kent appearance of the season after an injury-hit 2019, whilst Daniel Bell-Drummond will captain the Spitfires. Imran Qayyum, who took career-best figures of 5/21 in Kent’s Blast opener against Somerset last season, is also included.
Live commentary will be provided by BBC Radio Sport and can be accessed here.
All non-televised home matches in Kent Spitfires’ Vitality Blast campaign will be live streamed by the Club. More details will follow shortly.
Kent Spitfires squad in full – presented by W.W. Martin Ltd.:
Match Previews of Kent’s fixtures in this year’s Vitality Blast are proudly sponsored by FGS Plant Ltd. >>>
