That #QuarterFinal feeling!
CARDIFF: Hampshire need 35 from the final over, Essex Eagles look set to qualify for the quarter-finals!
THE EAGLES ARE VICTORIOUS: Porter closes out the game excellently, the Eagles win by 10 runs, all eyes now turn to Cardiff.
WICKET: CLAYDON, BOWLED PORTER
WICKET: VILJOEN, BOWLED PORTER
OVER 19: A phenomenal final over comes to an end from Amir. Kent need 16 to win from the final over, which will be bowled by Jamie Porter.
WICKET: QAYYUM, BOWLED AMIR
WICKET: BLAKE, BOWLED AMIR
OVER 18: Some beautiful bowling from Ravi Bopara sees Kent still need 25 from the final 2 overs.
WICKET: ROBINSON, BOWLED BOPARA, CAUGHT HARMER
WICKET: KUHN, BOWLED BOPARA
OVER 17: Kent require 30 from the final 3 overs.
OVER 16: Zampa completes his spell by removing Kent opener Zak Crawley who had been accelerating dangerously.
WICKET: CRAWLEY, BOWLED ZAMPA, CAUGHT CRAWLEY
OVER 15: Kent move to 136-3.
OVER 14: The skip brings himself back onto bowl, he delivers a much needed wicket. Kent are 126-3.
WICKET: BILLINGS, BOWLED HARMED, CAUGHT LAWRENCE.
OVER 13: Delport returns bowling tightly and going for just 6.
OVER 12: Zampa’s wealth of experience showing as he bounces back from going for a maximum to take the crucial wicket of Far Du Plessis.
WICKET: FAF DU PLESSIS, BOWLED ZAMPA, CAUGHT BOPARA
OVER 11: Great over from Ravi Bopara goes for 5. The fans at the ground vocal in their support for the Eagles.
HALFWAY POINT: Kent are 97-1. A big ten overs awaits.
OVER 9: Bopara comes back into the attack, the score moving to 92-1.
The Eagles will need more moments like this as the night goes on.
OVER 8: Captain Harmer is into the attack, the over goes for 17. Kent are 86-1.
FIFTY: CRAWLEY, 28 BALLS.
OVER 7: Delport’s mediums are called upon by captain Harmer. The over goes for 9. Kent 69-1.
OVER 6: Porter makes the breakthrough but back to back boundaries from Du Plessis see Kent reach 60-1 at the end of the power play.
WICKET: BELL-DRUMMOND, BOWLED PORTER, CAUGHT BOPARA.
OVER 5: Bopara’s first over goes for 12, Kent 47-0.
OVER 4: Sees the introduction of spin and Adam Zampa. Kent continue to progress however, the score is 34-0.
OVER 3: Amir continues to probe, bowling sharply.
OVER 2: Kent enjoy a more profitable second over moving to 15-0.
OVER 1: Amir starts potently, having 2 appeals turns down in his first 3 balls. Kent are on 5-0 after the first over.
ELSEWHERE: Glamorgan are doing all they can to help the Eagles posting 216-5 against Hampshire in Cardiff
Ravi Bopara batted superbly at the end of the innings to give the Eagles a strong total to defend.
INNINGS: Essex Eagles post 189. Ravi finishing with a huge straight 6.
OVER 19: 175-6. The Eagles will hope to go big off the last few.
OVER 18: Essex now sit on 164-6. Bopara the subject of adulation from the crowd.
OVER 17: 3 overs left, Harmer and Bopara at the crease, the score is 151-6.
WICKET: WALTER, BOWLED CLAYDON
OVER 16: With 4 overs remaining Essex move onto 144-5.
OVER 15: Essex push on to 134-5.
OVER 14: Kent continue to apply the squeeze. 123-5.
OVER 13: Another decent over for Kent, the Eagles sitting on 116-5.
WICKET: LAWRENCE, BOWLED QAYYUM.
OVER 12: Bell-Drummond bowls tidily removing Ten Doeschate and limiting the Eagles to just 3 from the over.
WICKET: TEN DOESCHATE, BOWLED BELL-DRUMMOND, CAUGHT KUHN.
OVER 11: Eagles 109-3.
HALFWAY STAGE: Essex are 101-3 with ten overs left.
Delport’s departure brings Tendo to the crease.
OVER 9: Lawrence and Tendo have a decent platform to build on, Essex 95-3.
WICKET: DELPORT, BOWLED BELL-DRUMMOND, CAUGHT KUHN
OVER 8: A huge over takes Essex to 80-2.
FIFTY: DELPORT, 24 BALLS
OVER 7: 8 from the over. Essex move to 63-2.
OVER 6: Delport moves to 35 and Essex to 55-2.
Delport will be hoping to punish that Qayuum drop and post a big score.
OVER 5: That over had it all, a hefty 6 from Delport, a drop from Qayuum, the removal of Adam Wheater and a classy 4 from Lawrence. The score sits at 42-2.
WICKET: WHEATER, BOWLED KLASSEN.
OVER 4: Wheater making a strong start to his innings with 2 gorgeous boundaries.
OVER 3: Klaasen bowls a very tidy over. Essex are 21-1.
WICKET: WESTLEY, BOWLED KLAASEN, CAUGHT DU PLESSIS
OVER 2: A mixture of clever running and clean striking see the Eagles take 12 from the over.
OVER 1: A steady start from Essex 8-0.
KENT ENTER THE FIELD: Westley and Delport stride out to open.
THE TOSS: Essex win and bat first. The Eagles are unchanged.
THE WIDER PICTURE: There are plenty of permutations regarding the Eagles potential qualification. The most likely one however is this: IF Essex Eagles WIN and Glamorgan WIN against Hampshire the Essex will progress to the quarter-finals.
JUST UNDER AN HOUR TO GO: The crowd are beginning to fill the stands as the group stage comes to a close. Essex’s squad is unchanged from last nights victory at Surrey while Kent boast a squad with the likes of Far Du Plessis and Sam Billing.
Welcome to The Cloudfm County Ground, where the Essex Eagles take on Kent Spitfires in the Vitality Blast, with Simon Harmer’s side searching for a win that could see them progress to the knockout stages of the competition.
