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Kent Spitfires (203) lost to Lancashire (328-5) in Metro Bank One Day Cup group A at Blackpool

19:00, 09 August 2023

Kent Spitfires suffered a second Metro Bank One Day Cup group A defeat in four days after losing by 125 runs to Lancashire at Blackpool on Wednesday.

It represented a small measure of revenge for the home side after they were beaten by Spitfires in the final of this competition at Trent Bridge last September.

Kent's Jas Singh – took three wickets on his List A debut at Blackpool. Picture: Barry Goodwin
Kent's Jas Singh – took three wickets on his List A debut at Blackpool. Picture: Barry Goodwin

Lancashire’s Josh Bohannon made an excellent 105 from 117 balls as they made 328-5 after being invited to bat first. George Bell, Dane Vilas and George Balderson all added half-centuries while Jas Singh’s List A debut saw him take 3-74 in 10 overs.

Jack Blatherwick then claimed a career-best 4-52 from 10 overs in Kent’s 203 all out inside 40 overs.

Kent were at their best with the new ball and deserved more early rewards but they became increasingly ragged. They conceded only 34 runs from the first 10 overs and ensured Bohannon didn’t hit a boundary until his 36th ball - a six over long-on against Hamidullah Qadri’s off-spin.

Bohannon’s quartet of sixes were all hit down the ground, an area opener Bell was particularly strong en-route to 71. Those two shared 112 for the second wicket from 15-1 after James Bazley (2-46 in 10 overs) had Keaton Jennings caught at second slip.

That was one of four catches for Spitfires skipper Jack Leaning. Two of them helped debutant Singh remove Vilas and Balderson, caught for 51 and 57 trying to attack late on. The 20-year-old had earlier bowled Bell following a heave to leg.

Bohannon reached his century - his ninth in all senior cricket - off 113 balls shortly after Lancashire had moved to 250-3 in the 44th over.

After navigating early challenges against Bazley and new ball partner Grant Stewart, who only bowled six overs for 17 at the start of the innings, Lancashire produced some fearless strokeplay.

Balderson reached his fifty in only 25 balls, and right at the death first year pro Matty Hurst scooped his first ball over the wicketkeeper’s head for one of three fours in a six-ball unbeaten 15.

Kent then made a troubled start to their chase, slipping to 97-4 inside 20 overs.

Ben Compton miscued a wide ball from Tom Bailey which seemed to stop on him to cover in the third over before Leaning was bowled by one which kept low from Blatherwick. Alex Blake drove to mid-off against Balderson, who then had Daniel Bell-Drummond caught behind for 38 by Hurst off a skied miscue.

Bell-Drummond had been released from Hundred duty with London Spirit to play and finished as Kent’s top-scorer.

Fifth-wicket pair Harry Finch and Joey Evison then steadied with a stand of 51, the latter whipping a six off Tom Aspinwall’s seam. But their hopes were dashed by Blatherwick, who returned to the attack and claimed three wickets in eight balls, including two in two, to leave Kent floundering again at 153-7 in the 34th over.

Finch was caught behind for 31 off an inside edge in the 32nd before a pulling Australian Bazley top-edged his first ball to mid-off. In the next over, Evison was lbw for 30.

Left-arm spinner Jack Morley then struck twice before some entertaining hitting from last-wicket pair Singh with 19 not out and Matt Quinn was ended by Aspinwall’s maiden senior wicket - Quinn caught at deep cover by Blatherwick.

Interim Kent head coach Simon Cook said: “At the 30-over point in both innings, scores were pretty much the same with just two wickets in it.

“Our innings lurched a bit. We probably didn’t build enough partnerships like we saw in their innings. We also conceded too many runs in the death overs.

"It was a tough wicket. The ball was moving around a little bit. Bohannon and Vilas showed the value of having two set batters in. We didn't get that platform to launch from.

"I thought Jas Singh's opening spell for a guy on List A debut was magnificent. That's exactly what this tournament is about. Yes, we want to win and to pick our best team, but it has that development background running through it."

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