Blast hopes in tatters after Eagles defeat

Essex Eagles swooped for a fourth victory in five starts at Canterbury to win their Natwest T20 Blast derby with Kent by 33 runs and put a huge dent in Spitfires’ hopes of reaching this year’s knock-out stages. The visitors held their nerve in front of a 6,000 crowd at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence to comfortably defend their total and make themselves favourites to claim the South Group’s fourthplace qualifying berth. Kent slid to a seventh defeat of the campaign despite a late, top scoring cameo from Spitfires beneficiary Darren Stevens (33) and will now need other results to go their way if they are to reach the quarter-finals. Batting first in ideal conditions and after winning the toss, Essex posted 190-2, with Tom Westley (74 not out, from 49 balls) and Ravi Bopara (51 not out, from 34 balls) adding an unbeaten 119 for the third wicket. Openers Dan Lawrence (27) and Neil Browne (19) were both removed by the returning Matt Coles who took 2-28 from his four overs. Kent’s reply got off to a poor start when Daniel Bell-drummond (12) skied the 13th ball of the innings to the bowler David Masters, the former Kent and Leicestershire seamer. Home skipper Sam Northeast briefly upped the tempo by taking a six over mid-wicket and four through point in Masters’ next over, then Joe Denly took a brace of sixes off Graham Napier to move to 21 before having his off stump pegged back as the hosts limped to the end of the powerplay on 48-2. Without addition to the total, Sam Billings went for a single when he edged a back foot force into the gloves of James Foster to give Masters 2-29. Lawrence, the Essex leg-spinner struck a crucial blow with his second ball by bowling Northeast (22) around his legs as he aimed a mid-wicket clip as Kent reached 72-4 at the mid-point of their reply. Eight runs on, left-hander Alex Blake (19) edged Bopara’s slow-ball bouncer to the keeper and, when Coles (7) followed suit to pick out Matt Quinn on the deep mid-wicket ropes, Spitfires’ race was as good as run.

Picture: Chris Davey FM4437370 Buy this picture from kentonline.co.uk Matt Coles sends down a delivery on his return to the Kent side against Essex on Friday night