Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Aggressive finish vital
Skipper James Tredwell says Kent will be aggressive as they seek to keep alive their slim hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals of the Yorkshire Bank 40 competition by winning their final two games.
Tredwell admitted to disappointment after the Spitfires’ chances of a semi-final spot were all but ended by a five-wicket defeat at Northamptonshire Steelbacks on Tuesday, which left them needing to beat Warwickshire today (Thursday, 4.40pm) and Group A leaders Notts on August 26, both at Canterbury, plus hope other results go their way.
After posting a below-par 188-7, Kent were beaten by the Steelbacks with two balls to spare and Tredwell said: “At one stage it didn’t look like it was going to be that close, so in the end it was a good effort.
“It was disappointing to lose. If we had maybe made 15 or 20 more with that bat then it might have been interesting but the real difference was their partnership (Kyle Coetzer and Cameron White).
“That took the game away from us and we found it tough to break it. If we’d managed to do it 10 or 15 overs earlier, it might have been a different game.”
He added: “We want to attack the last two games and try to win them both.
“Whether that will be good enough (to qualify), only time will tell.”
Tredwell won the toss and chose to bat at Wantage Road but Sunday’s century-maker Rob Key departed for a duck in the second over.
Brendan Nash joined Sam Northeast to put on 63 for the second wicket but was stumped for 34. Darren Stevens departed for 10 to make it 84-3 at the midway stage before Fabian Cowdrey (13) fell to Steven Crook (3-36).
Crook also accounted for Northeast for 44, while the recalled Adam Ball contributed 10. Tredwell came in at 125- 6 with fewer than 11 overs remaining but was bowled by Mohammed Azharullah for nine but Geraint Jones saw out the final five overs with Matt Coles (12 not out) to post his highest 40-over score of the summer – an unbeaten 46.
The total of 188-7 never looked quite enough, despite David Willey (2) and David Sales (7) falling to Coles and Mitch Claydon in the opening seven overs.
Coetzer and White combined to put on 142 for the third wicket in 28 overs, with White eventually cracking Coles to Key after an 82-ball knock of 65.
Needing 15 from the final five overs, Northants nerves were frayed as Coetzer nicked to Jones off the bowling of Stevens for 90, while Claydon bowled Crook (2) soon after.
However, the hosts needed just three from the final over and the arrived courtesy of leg byes off Claydon.