Denly ton keeps cup hopes alive

Kent Spitfires rekindled their Royal London One-Day Cup campaign as Joe Denly struck a century and Matt Coles claimed six wickets in a win at Hampshire on Tuesday night.

Daniel Bell-Drummond (91) and Denly (104) helped Kent to a fivewicket win to boost their quarter-final hopes.

Former England batsman Denly continued his impressive recent form with a chanceless century, his sixth in List A cricket.

Bell-Drummond – fresh from his heroics for the Lions the previous day – helped him total 203 for the first wicket – a highest first-wicket stand against Hampshire – and notched his highest List A score for Kent.

The pair looked unstoppable and were on course for a 10-wicket TP Alsop c Billings b Claydon ............17 WR Smith b Griffiths .........................20 AJA Wheater c Blake b Coles ............63 SM Ervine c Tredwell b Stevens ........21 LA Dawson c Blake b Coles...............20 R McLaren c&b Coles........................43 LD McManus b Coles ..........................6 GK Berg c Billings b Coles .................23 GM Andrew c Northeast b Coles..........4 BTJ Wheal not out ..............................5 MS Crane b Claydon ...........................0 Extras (lb3, w4)...................................7 annihilation, needing just 230 for victory but three wickets in seven balls halted the charge as Kent collapsed to 216-5.

Bell-Drummond was the first to depart when he picked out Tom Alsop on the boundary rope.

Four balls later, Brad Wheal, on his Hampshire 50-over debut, took his second, getting Denly looping one up to Sean Ervine.

Skipper Sam Northeast was then leg before to former Kent man Ryan McLaren and Darren Stevens was well caught by Mason Crane to give Wheal a third and send a panic through Kent.

Lions man Sam Billings (5) pulled tamely to Gareth Berg to put Wheal on a hat-trick but Alex Blake and Will Gidman steered the visitors to victory with 39 balls to spare. DW Lawrence c Northeast b Coles ....27 NLJ Browne c Rabada b Coles ..........19 T Westley not out ..............................74 RS Bopara nOt out ............................51 Extras (b5, lb5, w1, nb8) ...................19 1-47, 2-71. K Rabada 4-0-28-0, ME Claydon 4-0-43-0, MT Coles 4-0-28-2, DI Stevens 2-0-21-0, JC Tredwell 3-024-0, DA Griffiths 3-0-36-0. DJ Bell-Drummond c&b Masters .......12 JL Denly b Napier .............................21 SA Northeast b Lawence ...................22 SW Billings c Foster b Masters ............1 AJ Blake c Foster b Bopara ...............19 DI Stevens b Napier ..........................33 MT Coles c Quinn b ten Doeschate......7 JC Tredwell run out ............................4 K Rabada lbw b ten Doeschate ...........0 ME Claydon not out ...........................15 DA Griffiths b Napier ...........................8 Extras (lb3, w2, nb4, pen 6) ................4

Denly said: “It was a pretty good performance up until that last half an hour.

“The bowlers were fantastic and they only got a reasonable total with that short boundary on a good wicket.

“It was a good chase. Me and Deebs had a good partnership but that last half an hour was disappointing but it was a comprehensive victory.

“Having Matt back in the side is great. He is a vital player for us in all formats and he showed his class today.

“He has been a big miss in recent weeks but was great today.

“Matt puts in 100% in every game and you can’t fault his effort. It was nice for him to take the wickets against his old county.”

Earlier, Northeast had put Hampshire in and despite a solid 38-run stand to kick-start the innings, they lost wickets regularly.

Alsop was the first man to depart caught behind and he was quickly followed back by opening partner Will Smith who dragged on from outside off stump.

Ervine added 21 before attempting to ramp over his shoulder but was caught at extra cover.

Adam Wheater gave the hosts hope with a half century during a useful 61-run partnership with Liam Dawson.

But in the 31st over both departed in exactly the same way, Coles grabbing his first with Wheater hooking across to Blake, who was also on hand when Dawson fell into the same trap three balls later.

From then on it was the Coles show on his former home ground as he yorked Lewis McManus and had Gareth Berg slashing away from his body.

Coles had his fifth when Gareth Andrew chipped to extra cover and with his final delivery pulled off a remarkable reaction caught and bowled to see off McLaren (43).

It was the second time Coles took six wickets in a List A fixture, finishing this time with 6-56.

Wheal was the last to depart to a slower ball from Mitch Claydon, to give Hampshire a total of 229, which never looked enough once Denly and Bell-Drummond got going.