KENT CRICKET

Adam Milne believes Joe Denly yet again proved his credentials as a world-class cricketer.

The New Zealand overseas fast bowler took the final two wickets in Kent’s six-run win over Surrey at The Kia Oval on Friday.

But it was Denly that stole the show after scoring a century and then taking a hat-trick with the ball.

Milne said: “He continues to blow me away. I just think he’s a world-class batsman, he played some beautiful strokes and his bowling is just as good.

“He hits a good line and length and makes the batsmen do something. He changed the game with both bat and ball.”

Denly’s hat-trick gave Spitfires some hope in the match that Surrey looked to be cruising to victory.

At one stage they were 135-3 in the 13th over, chasing 174, before Denly took his wickets.

Milne bowled the penultimate over of the innings with the hosts needing nine runs with two wickets in hand. After conceding two singles from the first three balls he got the last two men out in consecutive deliveries.

Milne said: “It was incredible really. If we were perfectly honest we didn’t bowl great at the start so the batsman got away from us.

“Ben Foakes was striking it beautifully and it looked as though we were going to lose in 12 or 13 overs.

“Joe getting a hat- trick completely changed the game. We continued to take wickets at one end and it came down to that penultimate over. I knew I needed dot balls or wickets.

“I tried to be aggressive and luckily I snuck one through Batty and a little wide one was nicked through to Sam, so it was a pretty exciting finish.

“The vibe in the changing room coming off the Championship and One-Day games was really good. The boys have been playing some fantastic cricket and, as we’ve seen before, they’ve got themselves out of some big holes with both bat and ball.

“You get that belief in those situations when they are