SPITFIRES CHASING T20 QUARTER-FINAL SPOT

Assistant coach Matt Walker says Kent are already playing knockout cricket as they seek to secure a return to the quarter-finals of the NatWest T20 Blast. Kent have 12 points from 12 games to sit third in South Group and head a group of five teams separated by just two points – although they have played at least one more game than any of their rivals. They host one of those sides, Essex, at Canterbury tonight (Friday, 7pm) before a trip to The Oval to face Surrey seven days later. Walker said: “It’s a simple equation now. We said a week or two back that we had to win our last five games and now that’s down to two. “It’s been a tough schedule and we did incredibly well to win those games at Taunton and Gloucester – they were two outstanding results – and then follow it up against Surrey last week. We have given ourselves a chance and that’s all you can ask.” He added: “We have got big games coming up now against Essex and Surrey. They are certainly not going to be easy but we know what we have got to do. Two wins and that should be enough. “It’s like we are into the knockout stages already, we just have to keep that momentum going now. We have managed to get on a roll and confidence is high. “We can’t worry about anything other than winning these two games and seeing where it takes us.”