LIVE BLOG: KENT SPITFIRES V ESSEX EAGLES

 

Kent Spitfires vs Essex Eagles, Vitality Blast T20, Cricket, the St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom - 26 Jul 2019

An unsuccessful away trip but let’s turn it around tomorrow at home v Gloucestershire!

RESULT Kent take the points on this occasion, winning by 22 runs.

WICKET: HARMER, CAUGHT KLAASEN, BOWLED MILNE.

OVER 19: Essex will need 34 from the last over. Time to channel the inner Garfield Sobers.

FIFTY: Tendo brings up a 50 from 41 deliveries.

OVER 18: Serious uphill battle ahead. Essex need 42 from the final 2 overs.

WICKET: WHEATER, CAUGHT KLAASEN, BOWLED NABI.

OVER 17: Tendo hits a most needed 4 from the final ball of the over. Essex need 49 from the final 18 balls.

OVER 16 Kent stifle the Essex men to a set of singles with a double coming from the final ball.

OVER 15: 9 From the over. Tendo and Wheater are taking this deep.

OVER 14: Essex are on 102-5. 74 needed.

Kent Spitfires vs Essex Eagles, Vitality Blast T20, Cricket, the St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom - 26 Jul 2019

A few big overs are needed from this man alongside Tendo.

OVER 13: Huge let off for Essex as Tendo is dropped by Nabi at fine leg. Essex sit on 96-5 with 7 overs left.

WICKET: BOPARA, CAUGHT BELL-DRUMMOND, BOWLED KLAASEN.

OVER 12: 9 off the over. Great running from Bopara and Tendo.

OVER 11: A big few overs ahead for the Eagles. 81-4.

WICKET: LAWRENCE, CAUGHT BELL-DRUMMOND, BOWLED VILJOEN.

OVER 10: At the halfway stage Essex sit on 71-3. 105 needed in the final 10 overs.

OVER 9: A decent over for the eagles. 59-3 the score.

OVER 8: An outrageous catch dismisses Chopra, Essex sit on 50-3.

WICKET: CHOPRA, CAUGHT KUHN, BOWLED QAYUUM.

OVER 7: Chopra hits his groove, smashing Klaasen for a huge leg side 6. 47-2.

OVER 6: An eventful over as Ten Doeschate recovers from a body blow to hit Milne for a boundary. 36-2.

OVER 5: Viljoen bowls very well, restricting Essex to just 2 from his over.

WICKET: WESTLEY, BOWLED VILJOEN

Kent Spitfires vs Essex Eagles, Vitality Blast T20, Cricket, the St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom - 26 Jul 2019

How key could this man be as the chase goes on.

OVER 4: Westley and Chopra knock the ball around for singles. The score sits at 27-1.

OVER 3: Viljoen comes into the attack and bowls sharply, Delport hits a 4 off the first ball, but the rest of the over is rather tight and Delport is run out off the final ball.

WICKET: DELPORT RUN OUT BY MILNE.

OVER 2: Nabi bowls for the home side, completing an international opening bowling partnership with Milne. 15-0.

OVER 1: The Eagles start well racing to 10-0.

INNINGS Snater bowls an expensive last over as Kent finish on 175.

Kent Spitfires vs Essex Eagles, Vitality Blast T20, Cricket, the St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom - 26 Jul 2019

Who will be Essex’s key man in the chase?

OVER 19: Quinn struck early with his over going for 8. Kent sit on 153-6 with 6 balls left.

WICKET: COX, CAUGHT WESTLEY, BOWLED QUINN

OVER 18: Zampa into the attack and goes for 8 runs. Kent getting riskier with their running at this late stage.

OVER 17: Quinn into his stride again now. His over going for 5.

OVER 16: Harmer strikes as Essex begin to get into Kent’s lower order. with 16 balls left Kent are on 132-5.

WICKET: BLAKE, CAUGHT SNATER, BOWLED HARMER.

OVER 15: No magic from Delport this over as Kent take 8 from the over.

OVER 14: Zampa bowls his third over, a superb set that goes for just 3. Kent are 115-4.

WICKET: NABI, STUMPED WHEATER, BOWLED ZAMPA

OVER 13: Delport strikes with the ball. We’ve seen what he can do with the bat, now he’s showing us his skills with the ball!

WICKET: BELL DRUMMOND, CAUGHT SNATER, BOWLED DELPORT.

OVER 12: Harmer is back on for another over of spin, 7 off it. 104-2

OVER 11: Bopara’s variations do the trick as Robinson departs in an over that goes for 4.

WICKET: BOPARA FORCES A DRAG-ON FROM ROBINSON

OVER 10: Zampa is back in the attack and goes for a further 10 runs. The Kent batsmen running very well between the wickets. 93-1 at the half way point.

Kent Spitfires vs Essex Eagles, Vitality Blast T20, Cricket, the St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom - 26 Jul 2019

The only moment of joy for Eagles fans thus far.

OVER 9: Ravi also continues. The Kent batsmen however begin to play more expansively and the over goes for 11.

OVER 8: Harmer continues, now in the second over of his spell. The over goes for 5 including the first extra of the game.

OVER 7: The power play is over and Ravi is brought into the attack, the over goes for 7 and Kent sit at 66-1.

OVER 6: Simon Harmer brings himself into the attack and goes for 8.

Kent Spitfires vs Essex Eagles, Vitality Blast T20, Cricket, the St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom - 26 Jul 2019

Zak Crawley batted efficiently before Quinn bowled him.

OVER 5: Kent are getting off to a flyer using the small boundary well. Quinn’s 2nd over goes for 16 before Crawley is bowled off the final ball. Kent sit at 51-1 after 5 overs.

WICKET: QUINN BOWLS CRAWLEY

Kent Spitfires vs Essex Eagles, Vitality Blast T20, Cricket, the St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury, Kent, United Kingdom - 26 Jul 2019

Captain Simon Harmer considers his bowling options

OVER 4: Snater has changed ends and bowls his second over. Not the tightest however as it goes for 14.

OVER 3: Quinn is taken to by Crawley who hits back to back 4’s in an over that goes for 11. Kent are 21-0 after 3.

OVER 2: is bowled by Zampa, who bowls tightly conceding just 2 runs.

OVER 1: Goes for 8 with Zak Crawley starting well for the home side.

START: Snater is opening the bowling for the Eagles. Essex with an attacking field with Chopra at slip.

TEAM NEWS: Essex name an unchanged side. For Kent, Daniel Bell-Drummond captains a side featuring Mohammad Nabi and Imran Qayuum.

THE TOSS: Kent have won the toss and have elected to bat. Essex will field first.

Cameron Delport of Essex warms up in the nets during Kent Spitfires vs Essex Eagles, Vitality Blast T20 Cricket at The Spitfire Ground on 26th July 2019

Cameron Delport was the main man against Surrey smashing a superb century.

WEATHER OUTLOOK: With just under an hour until the first ball, the weather is set to be fairly wet tonight. Fans from both sides will be hoping for a full 40 overs play. Eagles fans however, will know just how strong their side can be in reduced over games after the match against Surrey.

Welcome to The Spitfire Ground, where Essex Eagles take on Kent Spitfires in the third Vitality Blast match of the 2019 campaign, with Simon Harmer’s side looking for back to back following last week’s victory over Surrey.