Despite 73 by Chris Cooke, Doug Bollinger took 5/35 whilst Darren Stevens bludgeoned a quick-fire fifty as the Kent Spitfires moved to the top of group table as they defeated Glamorgan by six wickets in their Royal London One-Day Cup contest at Canterbury.
Whilst the Glamorgan team were travelling by coach yesterday to Canterbury, the Spitfires were engaged in a dramatic tie at The Kia Oval, where the Surrey eighth wicket pair nearly saw their side to a target of 315. Gareth Batty however, was run out off the last ball to give both teams a point, and in the Spitfires case this lifted them into third place in the table, level on points with leaders Somerset and second-place Warwickshire, and one point above Glamorgan who bega the contest this afternoon in fourth place. However, victory for either side in today's game will lift them to the top of the group table.
The Welsh county fielded the same side which lost last Wednesday at Cardiff to the Notts Outlaws and it was Jacques Rudolph and Will Bragg who opened the batting after Mark Wallace had won the toss. Doug Bollinger and Mitch Claydon opened the bowling for the Spitfires, with the latter being smoothly cover driven by Rudolph for the day's first boundary.
There was little on offer in the opening overs as the new ball attack bowled a probing spell, and in the fifth over Rudolph was run out at the bowler's end by Callum Haggett at mid-wicket as the pair attempted a quick single. 16/1 saw David Lloyd join Bragg who duly pulled Bollinger for four, before Lloyd did the same against Claydon. Bragg also unleashed a booming off-drive followed by another pull to long-leg in the tenth over. But to the last ball of the powerplays Lloyd departed l.b.w. to Claydon with Glamorgan on 40/2.
Jim Allenby joined Bragg and began with a crisp cover drive against Haggett, but after a flurry of two's, plus a drive to mid-wicket by Allenby, Bragg drilled a ball straight back into Darren Stevens' hands. 65/3 then became 69/4 in the 15
th over as Allenby got an edge down the leg-side against Haggett, with wicket-keeper Sam Billings, who was standing up to the stumps, taking a smart catch
Murray Goodwin and Chris Cooke duly joined forces with a series of deftly-placed singles as James Tredwell's spin was introduced in the 20
th over, with Stevens switching to the Nackington Road End. The sequence of one's came to an end as Goodwin square-cut Stevens in the 22
nd over to bring up the hundred.
After another series of singles, Fabian Cowdrey's left-arm spin was introduced in tandem with Tredwell's off-breaks and the new bowler was nurdled for three by Cooke. After further briskly scampered singles, Cooke pulled a long-hop from Cowdrey for four before Haggett briefly returned at the Nackington Road End in a bid to break the stand which had carefully rebuilt the Glamorgan innings.
The pair duly took the batting powerplay in the 33
rd over with the total on 146/4, but to the second ball, Goodwin chopped Bollinger onto his stumps and departed for 40. Cooke continued to work the ball into the gaps but with the total on 154, Bollinger claimed another scalp as he bowled Wallace. With Graham Wagg as his new partner, Cooke completed his patient fifty from 80 balls, before another series of singles followed, punctuated by a drilled four through mid-off by Wagg against Haggett and a similar stroke by Cooke as he greeted the return of Clayden.
Cooke then pulled Bollinger for six before Billings dropped an edge by Wagg, much to the bowler's angst, but next ball Cowdrey at long-on held a head-high catch to end Cooke's valiant innings. 201/7 then became 208/8 as Stevens had Andrew Salter l.b.w. Without further addition, Bollinger bowled Wagg off his pads and after a single by Hogan, the Australian left-armer claimed his fifth wicket as he bowled Dean Cosker, and finished with figures of 5/35, equalling his career-best in the competition.
With Kent chasing a target of 210, Glamorgan needed early wickets to put pressure on the home side, but an outside edge by Bell-Drummond in Hogan's opening over was dropped by Rudolph at second slip. An l.b.w. appeal was also turned down before Bell-Drummond launched Hogan over extra cover for four, but the Australian struck in his second over as Allenby caught the opener with Kent on 7/1.
Ben Harmison joined Sam Northeast who nearly scythed a ball into Cosker's hands at backward point in Wagg's next over. The new ball pair kept things tight, with Hogan delivering successive maidens, supported by some enthusiastic fielding as the Spitfires limped to 15/1 after nine overs. Allenby then replaced Hogan at the Pavilion Endand was biffed straight for four, followed by an edge through the slips for four by Northeast as Kent reached 25/1 at the end of the powerplays.
Hogan switched ends and was twice straight-driven by Harmison, as well as being pulled to wide mid-wicket. Harmison also clattered Allenby through mid-off before Cosker briefly entered the fray at the Nackington Road End. Harmison also lofted him to mid-wicket for four before cover-driving Allenby as the fifty stand came up. Andrew Salter then replaced Cosker who switched to the Pavilion End and removed Harmison who miscued a sweep to Wagg at mid-wicket.
72/2 saw Cowdrey join Northeast and he got off the mark by cover-driving Salter, but with the two spinners in parsimonious mood, the two batsmen were restricted largely to one's and two's. The series ended when Cowdrey lofted Salter to wide long-on for four, but with the total on 107 the wily Cosker struck as Northeast was bowled attempting a cut.
Stevens then made his way to the middle as Hogan returned at the Nackington Road End , but Cowdrey harpooned Cosker to wide long-on for six as the target became 88 from the last 20 overs. Stevens then launched Rudolph to mid-wicket for two fours and a six before Kent took their batting powerplay on 152/3 in the 36
th over. Stevens then steered the first ball from Wagg to backward point for four before scampering some singles against the left-armer as well as Lloyd whose medium-pace had been introduced at the Nackington Road End.
Stevens then lofted Lloyd to wide long-on for six before Cosker returned and saw Cowdrey miscue to Hogan at mid-on. Stevens responded by swatting Cosker for six over mid-wicket to complete a 47-ball fifty. Alex Blake also drilled Cosker straight for four before Stevens clubbed the spinner for four to mid-wicket. Salter then conceded three wides in the 44
th over as the Spitfires eased to victory with 38 balls to spare and a place at the top of the group table.