Five wickets from Mitchell Claydon was the highlight as the Kent Spitfires lost to New Zealand in the T20 game on Saturday night.

The international side were just too good as they won the game by 42 runs against an inexperienced Spitfires team that was missing the likes of Rob Key, Geraint Jones and Mark Davies.

It was stand in captain Sam Northeast that won the toss after Brendan McCullum called incorrectly when the coin went up and there was some doubt as to whether we’d get a whole game in with the umpires concerned the wind was too strong for the floodlights to go up.

Adam Riley was given the opportunity to take the new ball and it didn’t take him long to get into the action. After a first ball appeal for lbw was turned down, just two balls later and he had Hamish Rutherford trapped in front for 0.

If that wasn’t good enough, Brendan McCullum’s stay at the crease lasted just six balls before he too went lbw for 7, this time to Mitchell Claydon who got one to nip back as he came roaring down from the Nackington Road End leaving the Kiwis in trouble at 9 for 2.

Some repair work from Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor took the Kiwis through to 44 for 2 at the end of the powerplay as Sam Northeast looked to rotate his bowlers.

Taylor looked in impressive form with one Darren Stevens over going for fifteen as the Kiwi batsman launched one short ball into the crowd down by the Old Dover Road.

Guptill and Taylor had taken the Black Caps through to 82 for 2 at the halfway point of their innings with the rain coming down hard at the end of the 11th over.

Despite it sheeting down across the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, the umpires wanted to give the game every chance and reintroduced into the attack Matt Coles found the edge of Taylor’s bat, going through to Sam Billings behind the stumps when on 52.

It was a fine innings that contained 3 fours and 2 sixes with his 52 coming off just 37 balls, leaving New Zealand 107 for 3 in the 14th over.

With the rain still pouring down, Fabian Cowdrey found gripping the ball hard work and a damp towel did little to help with Guptill bringing up his fifty at the end of the 15th over, with NZ moving on to 129 for 3.

Joined by Tom Latham, Guptill looked to accelerate the rate and picked out Ben Harmison on the long on boundary when on 56 as he looked to smash Mitchell Claydon at the start of the 18th over, ending his 44 ball stay.

Colin Munro was promoted to bat at six, but lost partner Latham shortly after coming in, with the latter edging Claydon through to Billings when on 38, leaving New Zealand 167 for 5 at the end of the 18th over.

Corey Anderson’s stay at the crease didn’t last long as he prodded the ball to Adam Riley at gully when on one, leaving the Black Caps 177 for 6 at the start of the last over bowled by Claydon who picked up his fourth wicket of the evening.

Claydon was to prove to be in inspired form with the ball once again as he picked up his fifth of the night bowling Nathan McCullum for 2 with New Zealand edging their way to 185 for 7 at the end of their innings.

Sam Billings and Daniel Bell-Drummond were given the honour of opening the batting for the Spitfires and they looked reasonably assured until the former skied a ball from Ian Butler straight to Nathan McCullum at mid off when on nine.

Sam Northeast was unable to replicate his form from Wednesday night as he struggled to get the ball away, bowled by Ronnie Hira for 2 trying to accelerate.

Meanwhile, Darren Stevens was to get a huge let off as he was dropped by Latham on the boundary when on three as he looked to clear the rope. If that wasn’t bad enough, Munro put down an easier chance at mid off later in the over.

At the halfway point of the Spitfires innings they were 56 for 2, still needing 130 to win giving Stevens and Bell-Drummond no choice than to try and take on the New Zealand attack.

Looking to force the rate, Bell-Drummond skied a shorter ball from Munro to Anderson at mid on for 31 leaving Kent 65 for 3 at the end of the 11th over.

Sensing the game was getting away from them, Stevens and Ben Harmison looked to take the game back to the Kiwis with one Nathan McCullum over going for 16 runs.

Needing to play some shots, Harmison played at a wide one from Doug Bracewell when on nine, that edged through to Brendan McCullum behind the stumps, taking a tumbling catch to dismiss the former Durham man.

Stevens new the onus lay on him to smash the ball around and one ball after being bowled off a free hit, the all-rounder drilled the ball to Guptill at mid off from Anderson’s bowling when on 41, leaving Kent 106 for 5 still needing another 80 runs to win in less than 5 overs.

With the last ball of the 17th over, Alex Blake slammed the ball down to Martin Guptill at mid off for 12 giving Ian Butler his second wicket of the night.

Knowing there was little else than pride to play for, Cowdrey and Matt Coles looked to take as many runs as they could off the final three overs.

Coles was to be run out for seven pushing for a second in the final over, but in the end it mattered not as Kent ended on 143 for 7, losing by 42 runs.

There will be positives to take from the game with some of the youngsters gaining valuable experience ahead of the T20 campaign starting against Middlesex on Friday 28th.

 

Kent won the toss and elected to bowl.

Kent side: Northeast, Billings, Bell-Drummond, Stevens, Blake, Harmison, Cowdrey, Coles, Hagget, Claydon, Riley.

New Zealand side: Rutherford, Guptill, B McCullum, Taylor, Latham, Munro, N McCullum, Butler, Hira, Anderson, Bracewell.

Result: New Zealand 185 for 7 (20 overs – Claydon 5-31), Kent 143 for 7. NZ won by 42 runs.

Umpires: M Burns & N Cook

Picture supplied by www.sarahansellphotography.com