James Tredwell finished with figures of 4-24 for Kent against Unicorns Picture: Barry Goodwin

by Glenn Pearson

A lacklustre batting display from the Kent Spitfires saw them slump to their first defeat of the summer against a spirited Unicorns side in the Clydesdale Bank Pro40.

The Unicorns chased down Kent’s 165 with an over to spare to win by four wickets thanks to a fine unbeaten 49 from veteran Keith Parsons and a sprightly 23 not out from Glenn Querl.

Querl and Parsons put on 41 for the seventh wicket to see their side home in a deserving win for the visitors, while Kent will be looking at themselves after underperforming with bat and at times with the ball.

James Tredwell finished with figures of 4-24 off eight tidy overs to put the home side in with a chance, but in the end their total of 165 proved too difficult to defend.

Sam Northeast led the charge with 69 but too many Kent batsmen failed after getting themselves in on what was a slow track at the St Lawrence ground.

Tredwell had started the ball rolling by picking up the wicket of Michael Thornley (9) thanks to a superb dive forward and catch from Jones, while the introduction of Adam Ball proved crucial with the England under-19 skipper bowling a tidy first spell of 2-12 off five overs in which he removed James Ord and James Campbell (0). Ord tickled one behind to Geraint Jones, while a short one from Ball caught Campbell by surprise and the left-hander could only feather a poorly executed pull behind to the Kent wicketkeeper.

The Unicorns then looked to be cruising to victory following a 49-run partnership between Tom New and Parsons before Tredwell popped up with two wickets in two balls to put Kent back in with a chance.

New was squared up by one that gripped and turned, providing a simple looping catch to Rob Key, before Bradely Wadlan was sent packing first ball after playing all round a full length delivery from the Kent off-spinner.

However, the stand between Querl and Parsons, who hit the winning boundary off the final ball of the 39 over, swung it back the Unicorns’ way as they inflicted Kent’s first defeat of the season.

The Spitfires had earlier been bowled out for 165 with a ball to spare of their 40 over allocation. On a trying Canterbury pitch, several batsmen made good starts but succumbed to poor shot selection. Only Northeast showed a degree of application against a Unicorns bowling attack that certainly didn’t look out of place on the first-class stage.

Seamer Glenn Querl, a former Zimbabwe under-19 international, bowled Sam Billings (6) in his first over on his way to figures of 4-41, before enticing Alex Blake into rushed shot that was easily caught by Stephen Cheetham.

Skipper Rob Key had looked composed on his way to 14, before a rush of blood saw him stumped off slow left-armer Luke Beaven, while Darren Stevens went for just eight after chipping the spinner to Luis Reece at mid-on, which left Kent teetering at 50-4.

Kent’s overseas signing, Brendan Nash, and Northeast shared in a partnership of 50 to steady the innings, but it was slow progress as Unicorn spinners Beaven and Bradley Wadlan applied the pressure.

It did for Nash (26), who went for risky single and was run out after a direct hit from Campbell.

It was soon 101-6 when Jones (1) popped one up to Tom New off Reece, while Tredwell (14) played across a straight one from the returning Querl to be trapped in front.

Northeast remained, and brought up his half-century off 80 balls, but he continued to lose partners at the other end. Matt Coles (2) looked all at sea in his brief seven-ball innings before wafting one from Lee straight to Parsons at backward point, while Ball (1) played the wrong line to be trapped lbw to Querl.

Mark Davies hung around with Northeast at the end to ensure the home side used up as much of their 40 overs as possible before the latter was run out for a well crafted 69 to the penultimate ball of the innings.