Essex Eagles v Kent Spitfires

Kent suffered their second defeat in three Twenty20 Cup starts in losing by one run to Essex after a scrappy display under floodlights in Chelmsford.

Buoyed by a crowd of 5,000, Eagles managed to defend a modest total of 147-5 on an evening when Spitfires once again failed to find their ‘A game’ with either bat and ball.

Kent suffered a troublesome start to their reply when, in the first over from Graham Napier, Joe Denly nicked his first ball though the slip area for four.

Then, from the final ball of the over, Rob Key appeared to be beaten by Napier’s pace from his first ball on strike and lost his middle stump to make it 9-1.

Denly teamed up with Martin van Jaarsveld (32) to add 48 in seven overs fro the second wicket with van Jaarsveld taking four boundaries in one over from Maurice Chambers.

But the South African was finally undone by spin or, to be more precise, the first ball of the night from wrist spinner Danish Kaneria – a googly that turned through the gate to peg back off stump as the right-hander attempted to drive.

Kent were just ahead of the asking rate after 10 overs but, after taking consecutive fours of Ryan ten Doeschate to move to 15, Justin Kemp heaved across the line of a straight ball to lose his middle stump.

Denly’s run of 50-plus scores ended during a wicket maiden by former team-mate David Masters, who ran one in off the seam to bowl Denly for 24 as he aimed to steer the ball to third man.

Masters then ran in off the ropes at deep cover to take a fine low catch that accounted for Darren Stevens (14) to a sliced drive off the bowling of Grant Flower.

Azhar Mahmood posted Kent’s 100 in the 15th over with a flat six clipped over mid-wicket off Masters and, with five overs remaining, Kent needed a further 42 to win.

Jones reverse paddled Kaneria for six to improve Kent’s chances of reaching the 29 they required from the last three overs.

Though Geraint Jones (15) then forced off the back foot straight into the hands of extra-cover, Mahmood clubbed a straight six to move to 20 only to sky a Flower long-hop to mid-on and make it 130-7.

McLaren (3), aiming to force the pace against ten Doeschate, then chopped on and, with rain starting to fall, Spitfires needed 14 from the last over of the night from Kaneria.

Arafat and Tredwell hit singles, Arafat under edged a sweep for four but two dot balls put paid to Kent’s chances of winning even though Arafat clubbed the last ball for six.

Earlier in the night, the visitors’ ground fielding left a lot to be desired and Yasir Arafat had to be warned by umpire Neil Mallender and taken out of the attack after sending down two beamers in the 19th over of the home innings.

Kent had made a bright start in the gloomy conditions by taking the wicket of Varun Chopra with only the second ball of the night from Arafat.

Playing around an off-cutter the right-hander went leg before to give Spitfires an early boost.

Though Graham Napier blasted a couple of quick boundaries he fell in the second over of the night from Azhar Mahmood, aiming to drive the all-rounder dragged the ball onto his stumps to make it 9-2.

Eagles’ re-grouped with a third wicket stand worth 48 between Flower (18) and Jason Gallian (44) during which time Kent’s fielding slipped below their usual high standards as three strokes were allowed though for boundaries by fielders diving over the top of the ball.

Indeed, even the next wicket owed much to a fumble by Denly who, after fumbling his stop at deep cover, recovered quickly to run out Flower as he attempted a second.

By half way Essex had only reached 63-3 and Gallian at last upped the tempo with the first six of the night over mid-wicket off the bowling of Darren Stevens.

But Gallian perished in the next over, the first of the night from James Tredwell, who pegged back off stump with an arm ball as Gallian made room to cut.

Spitfires finally showed what they are capable in the field when Yasir Arafat sprinted in at deep square leg to cling onto a stunning low catch that accounted for Ryan ten Doeschate for 10.

With the floodlights finally starting to kick in Arafat had to be taken out of the attack for bowling two beamers in his final over, the remaining three balls had to be bowled by McLaren as James Middlebrook (17) and James Foster with a quick-fire 41 took Eagles to the brink of 150.

The hosts had only scored 13 fours and one six in their entire innings, but even so theirs proved a testing total.

Simon Cook was again Kent’s most frugal bowler, he conceded 21 in his four overs, while Tredwell was their most successful with 2-25.

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