Spitfires suffer nine-wicket defeat to the Scottish Saltires

Friends Provident Trophy: Scottish Saltires beat Kent Spitfires by nine wickets (D/L)
18 May at The Citylets Grange
Scotland won the toss and decided to field

Kent Innings
65 for 4 (19.5 overs)
Jones 18, Kemp 14 not out, Key 14
Weeraratna 2 for 14, Haq 1 for 13, Stander 1 for 13

Scotland Innings
80 for 1 (14.5 overs)
Watts 45, Hamilton 18 not out, Watson 15 not out
Cook 1 for 29

Kent’s hopes of qualifying for the knock-out stages are in doubt after a nine-wicket defeat to the ScottishSaltires.The Spitfires were dealt a poor hand with the indifferent Edinburgh weather severely hampering their prospects of victory. Put into bat on an overcast morning, there were several interruptions in play throughout the day asKent stuttered to 65 for four from 19.5 overs when the rain once again forced the players off. Geraint Jones (pictured) top-scored with 18but it was difficult to build up any rhythm with the constant stoppages in play.

After a three-hour delay, Scotland were set a revised target – under the Duckworth/Lewis method – and it handed them a considerable advantage. Kent couldn’t apply the brakes quickly enough and opener Fraser Watts hit 45 from just 38 balls as the Saltires reachedtheir revised target of 77 from 18 overs.

It was Scotland’s first Friends Provident Trophy win of the summer. In today’s other game, Middlesex Panthers beat the WarwickshireBears by four wickets under the Duckworth/Lewis method. Kent are next back in action on Wednesday when they play Warwickshire in their finalFriends Provident group match.