Second XI reach Trophy semi-final
After playing some excellent one-day cricket earlier in the season, Kent’s Second XI have qualified for the semi-finals of the Second XI Trophy competition and make the long journey north next Friday, June 21 to play Yorkshire at Scarborough.
The winners will face either Somerset or Durham in the final at a venue to be decided scheduled for Thursday June 27 after the results are known.
Kent finally qualified after the unfinished match between Glamorgan and Essex was abandoned because of the weather, giving each side a point. That meant Glamorgan drew level on points with Kent, who went through having won more matches in the group stages of the competition: four from their six games.
Surprisingly, Kent started the tournament with a 17 run defeat to the MCC Young Cricketers, but then gained a five wicket win over Sussex. In a close encounter with Essex, Kent lost by five runs but then went on to win their final three matches, beating Gloucestershire by eight wickets, Surrey by the same margin and then Middlesex by five wickets.
There were some notable performances by established Kent players, with Sean Dickson and Jordan Cox putting on a 172-run opening partnership against Gloucestershire and then repeating it with a 156 stand against Surrey, Cox hitting 135 not out, whilst the Middlesex victory saw Grant Stewart score a 50-ball century hitting 112 off 57 deliveries.
As a result of the semi-final taking place next week the Second team’s two scheduled matches against Hampshire at Folkestone Cricket Club have been changed around and moved a day forward.
The T20 matches, originally being played on Tuesday, have been moved to Thursday, with Academy and Kent League players likely to be involved. The three-day Second XI Championship match will now start on Monday. This will allow the team playing against Yorkshire to travel north on Thursday.
The Second XI’s recent three-day Championship match against Surrey at Polo Farm was abandoned as a draw after two days were completely washed out by the weather. Just 56 overs were possible in the match in which Surrey scored 204 for 6. There was a notable bowling performance from former Kent Academy scholar Marcus O Riordan who took 4 for 57 from 18 overs, having started his spell with 3 for 7 in six overs.
Peter Burrowes
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