Match Report: Glamorgan vs. Kent Spitfires
Kent seamer Matt Milnes took his maiden five-wicket haul in T20 cricket as his side sealed a 40-run Vitality Blast win over Glamorgan in Cardiff.
Milnes & co. did the business to defend a total of 144 for seven, with the former Nottinghamshire bowler ending the match with figures of five for 22.
Two wickets each for Marnus Labuschagne, Prem Sisodiya and Dan Douthwaite put Glamorgan in control, but they were dismissed for just 104 as Labuschagne failed for the first time in the Blast.
Kent won the toss and chose to bat which thrust Zak Crawley straight into action. He was off the mark from the first ball of the innings, but his opening partner Daniel Bell-Drummond was immediately trapped lbw by Sisodiya without scoring.
Sisodiya should have had a second when Joe Denly spooned the ball to mid-off. It was the simplest of catches for James Weighell who somehow dropped it. Weighell made amends in the next over by dismissing Denly who again lobbed a catch in the air.
It brought Sam Billings to the crease with Crawley. Both men struggled to get going and Crawley went to the first ball of the seventh over, caught by Douthwaite off Sisodiya for 15 from 16 balls with just one four.
After a slow start Billings smashed Andrew Salter for two straight sixes. Both cleared Kiran Carlson who would have had a better chance of a catch had he been on the rope. Labuschagne had Jack Leaning caught behind.
Billings followed him when he was bowled by Douthwaite leaving his team 77 for five.
Needing impetus, Kent were indebted to veteran Darren Stevens who hit Weighell for four and six from consecutive balls before he was caught by Nick Selman on the cover boundary.
David Lloyd fell early in Glamorgan’s reply to Milnes bringing Labuschagne – on the back of three straight Blast fifties – to the crease.
Selman went in the fifth over to a smart boundary catch by Crawley as Glamorgan reached just 33 for two from their first six overs.
It soon got worse when Labuschagne was caught and bowled by Milnes for 22 and Colin Ingram followed in the same fashion for 17. It left Glamorgan needing 86 from the final 10 overs.
They didn’t get close with Carlson caught behind off Denly and the tail subsided to Milnes from there. Kent now have four wins from five Blast games.
NEXT HOME MATCH
Essex Eagles travel to The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence to contest the latest chapter of the ‘Battle of the Bridge’ saga on Father’s Day, Sunday 20 June (14:30 start).
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Be in with a chance of winning Darren Stevens’ signed match-worn Vitality Blast shirt by buying any piece of Samurai Sportswear Kent Cricket merchandise online or in-store before 18 July.
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