Geraint Jones is bowled out in Kent's defeat on Sunday Picture: Andy Payton

by Andrew Gidley

Kent Spitfires were condemned to a six-wicket defeat to Warwickshire Bears in the opening Clydesdale Bank 40 game at Canterbury on Sunday.

England pair Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell both scored half centuries as Bears, chasing a target of 247 to win, made light of the Kent attack with new signing Dewald Nel going for 70 in his first seven over spell, conceding 13 fours in the process.

Bell hammered 88 of 75 balls, including 10 fours and a six, while Trott played onto Simon Cook, also making his first appearance, for 54.

It was an eventful start to the new 40-over competition with Bears' Naqaash Tahir removed from the attack after bowling two full tosses over waist height.

Kent were gifted five penalty runs after a delivery from Neil Carter hit a fielder's helmet, while Ian Bell hit a TV camera on the top deck of the St Lawrence pavilion with a huge straight six.

It was Darren Stevens who produced the fireworks for Kent on a sunny breezy afternoon at St Lawrence, hitting five sixes in his 33 ball 55.

The first was a huge hit to the longest boundary on the hospital side of the ground, but the rest peppered the Old Dover Road car park, one leaving a large dent in the roof of a vehicle.

Stevens perished trying another big hit, only to be caught at mid-wicket by the Bears captain Ian Westwood.

Kent recovered from the early loss of skipper Rob Key (10), as Joe Denly and Martin Van Jaarsveld added 113 for the second wicket. Van Jaarsveld hit 58 off 63 balls, before going to a sharp return catch by Imran Tahir.

Tahir then bowled Denly for 80, off 102 balls with six fours, while he was attempting a leg-side pull.

Stevens then took centre stage as Kent took 48 off the last four overs in Kent's total of 246-6.