Kentish Express Ashford & District
Spitfires crash to fifth straight defeat
Kent Spitfires suffered their fifth consecutive Friends Life t20 defeat and remain pointless in South Division after a 62-run drubbing against Essex Eagles at Chelmsford on Monday night.
A target of 181 proved well beyond a side visibly lacking confidence and who have not scored more than 145 in a t20 innings this season.
The hosts piled on 59 from the first 27 deliveries before Mitch Claydon got Mark Pettini and Graham Napier caught and bowled to make it 60-2.
James Tredwell (3-19) trapped Hamish Rutherford leg before but Ravi Bopara (39) and Owais Shah (39) put on 78 in less than 10 overs before departing in identical fashion, offering superb diving catches to Alex Blake on the deep square leg boundary.
Ryan ten Doeschate added 27 from 17 balls as the hosts closed on 180- 8.
Sam Northeast cracked a six off Graham Napier to start the reply, however, the required run-rate rose amid tight bowling from Shaun Tait, Reece Topley (4-26) and Bopara (3-12), who eventually bowled Northeast (32).
Kent slipped from 87- 4 to 95-8 in a 16-ball nightmare spell and Spitfires were dismissed for 118.
On Friday night, Kent were bowled out for 117 at home to Essex in a 47-run defeat. Shah’s 59 steered the visitors from 55-3 to 164- 6 at Canterbury.
Northeast was trapped leg before to the first ball from Napier before Kent recovered to 82- 4 with nine overs left. However, Kent lost their final four wickets for just six runs.
On Sunday afternoon, the Spitfires’ first away game also ended in defeat as they capitulated by nine wickets against Middlesex Panthers at Uxbridge.
Adam Rossington made 74 from 37 balls, the second time he has scored big against Kent this summer, to steer his side past the Spitfires’ below-par 140- 6 with over four overs to spare.