Match Report: Kent Spitfires vs Hampshire Royals (FLt20)

Hampshire Royals confirmed their place at the top of the FLt20 South Group after a comfortable victory over Kent Spitfires, with Mark Carberry top scoring on 83*and Ben Dawson claiming four wickets for just 19 runs.

With the Royals already guaranteed a home tie in the quarter-finals, and the Spitfires already out of the competition, there was little to play for at the Lawrence Ground but for the chance Hampshire had to claim top spot.

Carberry’s superb innings of 83 not-out helped the side to a competitive total of 185-6 after captain Dimitri Mascarenhas had won the toss and elected to bat.

The opener’s innings could have unfolded quite differently though; had a first ball LBW appeal been given against him off the bowling of Mark Davies. Replays, however, showed the ball to be going just over the stumps.

Hampshire’s innings really got started in the second over when James Vince, celebrating the signing of a new contract with the Royals, hit two sixes off two balls to take the side to 20-0. His stay at the crease, however, would be a short one and he was clean-bowled just two balls later for 18.

With the loss of Hampshire’s second wicket coming in the fifth over, this brought about Neil McKenzie to the crease, who would prove to be a suitable partner for Carberry. His innings would end early, however, after being run-out for 45 off just 35 balls; just his second out of the tournament so far.

Carberry would continue his assault on the Kent bowlers though, and whilst Mascarenhas (4 runs), Ervine (10) and Dawson (17) would fall before the end, the opener would finish with his second best t20 score to date and guide Hampshire to 185-6.

This set Kent a target of 186 to win, with a rate of 9.30 runs an over required.

The innings couldn’t have started much better for the hosts, with Bell-Drummond hitting a four off the first ball of the innings, and without a loss of wicket by the fourth over, things looked to be going well for the Spitfires.

However, they soon found themselves two wickets down after some ‘fortunate’ catches off the bowling of the soon-to-be-retired Mascarenhas. First Bell-Drummond fell for just 12, after flicking the ball backwards towards Ervine at first slip. Then fell Cowdrey for 13, after hitting straight down the ground and into the hands of Chris Wood, who would go on to take 2-21.

With two men on 0 now at the crease, it looked like an impossible task for Kent to come back into the game. However, a partnership of 60 between Darren Stevens (39) and Sam Billings (21) brought the hosts back to 88-2 and in with a slight chance of victory.

Three quick wickets from off-spinner Liam Dawson, however, left Kent 89-5 and needing 97 more runs off just 42 balls to win. From here, Dawson claimed one more wicket to earn a competition best of 4-19 whilst the Spitfires struggled to 123-9, leaving them 63 short of the target.

Hampshire will now await Wednesday’s quarter final draw, whilst Kent will turn their attentions to the County Championship and the YB40.

Kent Spitfires: Bell-Drummond, Cowdrey, Billings, Stevens, Blake, Harmison, Jones (C), Coles, Claydon, Davies, Riley.

Hampshire Royals: Carberry, Vince, Adams, McKenzie, Ervine, Wheater, Dawson, Mascarenhas (C), Wood, Briggs, Griffiths.