Geraint Jones on his way to 57 Picture: Barry Goodwin

by Andrew Gidley

Kent Spitfires spluttered to their second Friends Provident Trophy Group B defeat of the season losing by 80 runs against Middlesex Panthers at windy Canterbury on Monday.

Chasing 323 at nearly seven an over, Kent needed a solid start but struggled to 40-3 losing Rob Key, Martin van Jaarsveld and Joe Denly.

Geraint Jones continued his good form, with 57 off 48 balls including four fours and three sixes, being particularly severe on Middlesex captain Shaun Udal. The former England spinner got his revenge though as the Kent wicketkeeper holed out to Owais Shah, fifth out at 122, one run after replacing his broken bat.

Justin Kemp and Wayne Parnell added 50 in 10 overs before the young South African was bowled round his legs by Danny Evans for 22.

However Kemp, short of runs early season, stayed to make his second useful contribution in successive days before being run-out for a 71 ball 69. But by then the match was over as a contest, with Kent bowled out for 242 with 28 balls remaining.

Middlesex’s third wicket pair man-of-the match Eoin Morgan and Nick Compton recorded their respective limited over career bests, with Irishman Morgan, dropped twice on 76 and 120, mixing the orthodox with the unorthodox to dominate the Kent attack.

They made all the Kent bowlers suffer in a county record stand of 277 for any wicket in one-day cricket, beating the 32-year mark of 223 set by Mike Smith and Clive Radley against Hampshire at Lord's in 1977.

Morgan finally holed out to Parnell’s neat juggling catch in the deep for 161, made off 136 balls with 19 fours and two sixes.

Compton followed one run later, for 130 off 127 deliveries with 13 fours, beaten by a fine throw from Denly.

Neil Dexter, back at St Lawrence for the first time since switching counties, made only three as Middlesex amassed 322-4, their highest ever total in 50-over cricket.

Morgan and Compton came together at 31-2, Parnell bowling in-form Australian Phil Hughes for 12 before Shah, playing his first match since returning from IPL duty in South Africa, went for a second ball duck, caught behind by Jones off Azhar Mahmood.