KENT Spitfires lost their final home tie of a mixed C&G Trophy campaign by four wickets as Essex Eagles swept past their modest 50-over total.

Batting first in ideal conditions yet on a tricky pitch, Kent could only muster 281 for six after a stumbling start and it was a target Essex cantered past with 22 balls to spare.

After the early loss of veterans Ronnie Irani and Darren Gough, the Essex heroes proved to be Mark Pettini with a 66-ball innings of 80 with 10 boundaries and Zimbabwe batsman Andy Flower with a run-a-ball 61.

It was left to wicketkeeper James Foster, one of several to be linked with Geraint Jones’s England job, to steer the visitors home with an unbeaten 49 in time to see the second half of the Brazil versus Australia World Cup clash.

On a day Kent’s attack will care to forget, Amjad Khan’s 10 overs cost 79 runs, Andrew Hall claimed one wicket for 62 and Simon Cook, on his first team return, took one for 54 from nine overs.

The Kent innings had seen a glorious crescendo after something of a flawed and faltering start.

Although this was a glued pitch, as is the fashion in one-day cricket nowadays, this was a dry surface with a good covering of grass, which made for some early variation in the pace off the surface.

Accordingly Darren Stevens and Neil Dexter, though both in decent form, struggled for timing against the new ball and ultimately paid the price when attempting to force the pace.

Dexter (23) lost his middle stump when driving outside an Andy Bichel off-cutter then Stevens (36) clipped a good-length ball from Jahid Ahmed low to deep square-leg.

Martin van Jaarsveld, dropped behind off a leg-side flick then at slip as he attempted to drive with his score on one and three respectively, looked unusually scratchy.

He stayed around long enough to see former Test team-mate Hall (14) chip a slower ball to mid-on but, with his score on eight, van Jaarsveld wafted across the line and lost middle stump to make it 92 for four.

That bought together Key and Justin Kemp for a sensible fifth wicket stand of 68 in 13 overs that kick-started Kent’s resurrection.

Kemp, who received his county cap ahead of the game, shifted to top gear by taking 20 including a six off an over from Ryan ten Doeschate. But, with his score on 31, Kemp cracked a square cut low to backward-point where Tim Phillips claimed a fine low catch.

Key joined forces with Matt Walker to continue the good work with a stand of 103 in 11 overs and as Andy Bichel and Gough rested, the Kent duo made hay against the lesser lights of the Essex attack to accelerate the run-rate in style.

Key offered a tough return chance to James Middlebrook with his score on 61 before Gough, reintroduced at the death, conceded 15 in an over including a Key six, albeit a slight miscue that just cleared the ropes and the fielder.

Bichel ended the stand by grabbing a return drive from the Kent captain with his score on 89 from 92 balls but Walker’s unbeaten 52 from 34 balls maintained the momentum.

Tredwell hit the last delivery of the innings for six, but at 281 for six Kent were still possibly 30 short of a defendable total.