A dazzling 75 from Amelie Munday spearheaded Gloucestershire’s 15 run Vitality Blast victory over Kent at Canterbury.

Munday’s 75, her maiden List A 50, came from 40 balls, including three sixes as Gloucestershire made 191 for 6 from their innings. A measured 27 from Izzy Patel and a quickfire 33 from Georgina Start provided great support as the visitors amassed a commanding total.

The Kent reply included 66 from Coco Streets and good contributions from Kelly Castle and Amy Gordon, but Gloucestershire’s smart field placements and tight bowling kept the Kent run-rate under control as they could only manage 176 for 6 from their innings.  

Having been inserted by Kent, Gloucestershire got off to a blistering start with 12 runs from the first over, including a six over deep midwicket by Becca Halliday. However, Halliday was dismissed in the next over, caught by Kelly Castle at long-on from Gordon’s bowling.

Kent’s newest recruit, Hampshire loanee Hannah Hardwick, had an eventful opening over, conceding 13 runs, but picking up the wicket of Meg Ahearne, caught by Gordon.

Munday was pro-active in the powerplay, hitting four fours and a six, before she was dropped by Maddie Blinkhorn-Jones behind the stumps in the sixth over.

At the end of the powerplay, Gloucestershire were 45 for 2, with Munday looking well-set on 26.

The visitors accelerated after the powerplay, picking up 30 runs over the next two overs, as Emily Geach hit three consecutive boundaries from Hardwick’s third over.

Kent picked up their third wicket, courtesy of a mix-up between the batters. Geach pushed the ball into the covers and went for the run, but she was sent back by Munday and was run out for 19 by Streets.

Munday reached her 50 in the tenth over with a huge six over deep-midwicket from 26 balls.   

Gloucestershire reached their 100 in the twelfth over, and Munday looked set to potentially reach her maiden century as she launched Gordon over long off for her third six of the innings.

However, Munday’s eye-catching innings was ended in the 15^th over as she faintly edged a full delivery from Zeena Bilal and was caught behind for 75 from 40 balls.

With Munday gone, Izzy Patel began to play more aggressively, hitting the Kent skipper for a six and a four in the 16^th over. But she played a shot too many and was caught at long on for 27 in the next over from Gorham’s bowling.

Wicketkeeper Georgina Start played an excellent cameo innings, hitting an entertaining 33 not out from 14, including consecutive sixes over midwicket from Gorham’s last over.

Kent picked up one final wicket as Izzy Storrar was bowled by Hardwick in the final over that ended with a four from Alice Bird, taking Gloucestershire to 191-6.

The Kent reply began with a solid start. Streets and Gordon shared an unbroken opening stand of 51 in the powerplay overs with respective scores of 23 and 27.

However, a tight seventh over from Geach yielded only two runs for the Horses and appeared to frustrate the opening pair who struggled to pierce the Gloucestershire field.

The pressure proved effective in the next over as Streets was dropped on the square-leg boundary by Patel while on 25. The opening stand was broken in the very next ball as Gordon holed out at long-off, caught by Storrar from Liv Daniels’ bowling.

Three overs without a boundary after the powerplay slowed the Kent scoring rate and pushed the required run rate to above 11. This was slightly eased by a profitable tenth over that went for 11, including two fours, but Gloucestershire’s tight bowling had put them in the stronger position.

After ten overs, Kent were 77 for 1, needing 115 from 60 balls.

Gloucestershire continued to apply the squeeze with well-placed fields and tight bowling, while Kent still struggled to find the boundary.

Streets reached her 50 from 42 balls in the 14^th over with a single to backward point, but Kent were still desperate for a big over to bring the required run rate down.

Streets targeted the 15^th over, hitting Alice Hill for three boundaries, including a six over long-on. However, she was caught in the deep by Ahearne from the last ball of the over, looking to clear the ropes again for 66 from 48 balls.

Despite a four to start the next over from Castle, Charlie Phillips only conceded seven, including the wicket of Elsa Barnfather, who skied a big shot and was caught by Start.

Castle continued to swing for the fence, but with Kent needing 42 from the final two overs, defeat seemed inevitable.

In the penultimate over, Daniels had Castle caught in the deep by Munday for 43 from 33 balls, which all but sealed Gloucestershire’s victory.  

Blinkhorn-Jones was out stumped in the final over, giving Phillips her second wicket of the match.

Hardwick finished the Kent innings with consecutive sixes over long-on and cow-corner to finish on 15 not out in the Kent total of 176 for 5, falling 15 runs short of the Gloucestershire total.

Picture supplied by Kent Cricket.