Match Preview: Kent Spitfires vs. Middlesex
Kent Spitfires’ final Vitality Blast South Group home match of the Summer is against Middlesex at the St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury.
Get your tickets now
Prices rise at 11:59pm the day before the match.
Entry is INCLUDED in all Kent Memberships, White Ball Passes & Youth/Junior Season Tickets!
What can I expect at the St Lawrence Ground during the Vitality Blast?
All-action Vitality Blast T20 cricket isn’t just about fireworks on the field – expect pumping music, t-shirt giveaways in our Vitality scatterblasts, an interval challenge and much more.
Enjoy a food village, multiple public bars, and high octane atmosphere!
Don’t forget – you can meet the Kent Spitfires and get autographs and selfies with your favourite Kent players at our special autograph sessions at the end of every home Vitality Blast fixture this Summer.
Before the match head to our giveaway stations to pick up your matchday essentials! Autograph sheets, 4/6 cards, Vitality Blast furry headbands and FanKlappers – perfect for supporting your team, making some noise and celebrating every moment.
Get your tickets now
Prices rise at 11:59pm the day before the match.
Entry is INCLUDED in all Kent Memberships, White Ball Passes & Youth/Junior Season Tickets!
Matchday Information
This has now been confirmed as a 2:30pm start.
Gates will open at 12:30pm.
We strongly advise that all Members & spectators travelling to the ground make use of public transport.
Important matchday information for Members, White Ball Pass/Youth & Junior Season Ticket holders & those that have purchased matchday tickets can be accessed via the button below:
View Matchday Information
We strongly advise that all Members & spectators travelling to the ground make use of public transport.
The St Lawrence Ground is located approximately 1.5 miles (33 minute walk) from Canterbury West station and 1 mile (20 minute walk) from Canterbury East station.
Situated approximately a 10 – 15 minute walk from the ground, parking is available at New Dover Road Park & Ride, operated by Canterbury City Council.
Park & Ride information [via Canterbury City Council]
Food & Drink at the St Lawrence Ground
Make the most of your day at the St Lawrence Ground with our Food Village located on the Southern Bank!
Alongside the usual food & drink offerings, the following concessions are also available for this match:
- Barney & The Pizza
- Barney Hot Dog
- Cluck ‘n’ Cow
- Cluckin’ Taiwan Fried Chicken
- Coffee
- Scoop Ice Cream
- South African Kitchen (Peri-Peri)
- Vinnies Pulled Pork
- Vudu Food (BBQ)
Find out more via our Full Matchday Information page for this fixture:
View Matchday Information
Weather Watch
Please be prepared for the heat – shaded general admission is located in the Frank Woolley Stand Lower, and free water will be available at all indoor bars.
- Buy your tickets with confidence – should there be less than 10 overs bowled in total, excluding reduced-overs results, ticketholders will be offered a ticket voucher of equivalent value of their ticket purchase, valid for any home matchday in the remaining season of the affected matchday, as well as for any home matchday for the following season of the affected matchday.
- Follow Kent Cricket on XÂ to receive live updates on prospects of play should there be any delays.
View Kent Cricket’s Refunds, Transfers & Compensation Policy
Last Time Out
An unbeaten half-century from Jason Roy helped Surrey to a thoroughly dominant nine-wicket victory against Kent Spitfires to keep his side firmly in the hunt for the knockout stages of the T20 Blast.
View video scorecard
Surrey raced to 106 for one inside just nine overs to canter to victory, chasing down Kent’s anaemic performance with the bat, having been bowled out for a paltry 102 with a full three overs to spare.
Opposition Report
Previewed by Jon Batham, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
- Captain:Â Leus du Plooy
- Overseas players:Â Eathan Bosch (all)
- Finals Day appearances:Â One (2008)
- Titles:Â One (2008)
- 2025 finish:Â 8th in South Group
- 2025Â leading run-scorer:Â Stephen Eskinazi (420)
- 2025Â leading wicket-taker:Â Tom Helm (20)
Peter Fulton has arrived from New Zealand as head coach, but stellar batter Kane Williamson won’t be returning for a second stint and leading run-scorer from 2025, former skipper Stephen Eskinazi has left for Leicestershire. England U19 World Cup final century maker Caleb Falconer has been added to the squad and seems sure to make his Blast debut, while Adam Rossington returns to the club for the first six group-stage games.
Can Fulton succeed where others have fallen short and revive the white-ball fortunes of a Middlesex team who have reached only two T20 quarter-finals since Toby Radford led them to the trophy in 2008? Two-metre Pete has form, leading previous team Canterbury to glory twice in New-Zealand’s premier white-ball competition, the Ford Trophy, though that is a 50-over format.
Middlesex have an exciting crop of youngsters like Falconer, Sebastian Morgan, Naavya Sharma and others, some of whom took their first steps in the Blast last season. The challenge will be, with no sign of a marquee batter on the horizon, last year’s leading scorer Eskinazi having left, and wicket-keeper/batter Joe Cracknell set to miss the start of the competition with a broken finger, whether Middlesex set and chase down targets in a format where the power hitters are king.
Live Match Centre
Kent Spitfires vs. Middlesex will be live streamed for free on Kent Cricket’s Official YouTube Channel thanks to the Club’s Official Live Stream Partner, Cluberly.
The enhanced live T20 stream, hosted by former Kent Captain David Fulton, will also be embedded into the Match Centre of the Kent Cricket website:
View Match Centre
Team News
Men’s Head Coach Adam Hollioake has named a squad of 14 to take on Middlesex.
Sam Billings leads a squad that includes Bangladesh international Hasan Mahmud, who will be playing the final match of his first stint with the Club before his Rothesay County Championship return in September.
Hasan has been available for selection in Kent’s two home matches to conclude the Group Stage of the tournament – including Middlesex on Sunday 12 July, which is now confirmed as a 2:30pm start.
Ekansh Singh made his career T20 debut last time out and is again included, as is Jaydn Denly, who is yet to play a first-team T20 match.
Keith Dudgeon has not been selected for this match after playing the majority of Kent Spitfires’ Vitality Blast matches on top of his County Championship workload.
Joe Denly will be unavailable for this weekend’s fixtures after sustaining a blow to his lower leg whilst fielding at Hampshire.
Fred Klaassen also misses out due to a hamstring injury, and will also not be considered for selection this weekend.
Jake Lintott is a Kent Spitfire on loan until the end of the tournament and is included in the squad. Off-spinning all-rounder Bertie Foreman has a two-month contract with the Spitfires that runs until the end of the Vitality Blast, but the left-handed batter has not been selected.
As previously communicated, Joey Evison has joined Leicestershire on loan for the remainder of the Vitality Blast, and Dian Forrester has left the Club to feature for Texas Super Kings in Major League Cricket.
Kent Spitfires’ Vitality Blast matchday squad, presented by Shepherd Neame >>>
The Vitality Blast run in
Kent Spitfires conclude the Group Stage of the 2026 Vitality Blast at home against Middlesex at the St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury:
Get your tickets here
Entry is INCLUDED in all 2026 Kent Memberships, White Ball Passes & Youth/Junior Season Tickets!
