Records tumble as Stevens heroics can’t foil Glamorgan
SOUTH ROUND-UP
AT the age of 41, you surely begin to think that you’re not going to take part in many more record-breaking games. But Darren Stevens isn’t your normal cricketer.
Having past 40 years of age, the Kent man is having a season to remember and this weekend hit a stunning 147 off just 67 balls – a new List A record for Kent.
That wasn’t the only record that tumbled. Even with Stevens heroics, where he smashed 14 sixes, the Spitfires fell 15 runs short in their aim to chase down Glamorgan’s highest-ever limited-overs score of 356-7.
That total was set up by Colin Ingram (114) and Will Bragg (94) sharing a stand of 212 for the host’s third wicket while the game equalled the UK county record for sixes struck in a List A game of 35.
All-rounder Stevens said: “It’s all a bit of a blur, it’ll take me the six-hour journey to think about it. I’d say it’s my best knock, it’s just a shame we didn’t win the game on a belting pitch.
“It must have been pretty special to watch with 35 sixes in the game, Braggy played brilliantly and Colin does what he does, he’s so hard to bowl at.”
That was Glamorgan’s second win of the weekend after they chased down Hampshire’s total of 332-6, Ingram starring again with the bat as he made 115.
Surrey were another side to make it two wins from two last weekend. First, they beat Kent at the Oval by 44 runs on the DLS method, before they beat Hampshire on the same method. Kumar Sangakkara showed his class to smash 124 as rain stopped Surrey on 238-2 after 38 overs in pursuit of 272.
Essex had moved top after they leapfrogged Somerset by beating the Taunton side thanks to Tom Westley’s century and an unbeaten 92 from Ravi Bopara. That followed up a comfortable victory over Middlesex where Jamie Porter and Paul Walter both claimed four wickets to limit last year’s County Champions to 148 all out.
Somerset had beaten Gloucestershire by 81 runs, with the Bristol side bouncing back from that to defeat Sussex on Sunday.