peggy1258
Registred
Joined: 07 Jul 2011
Posts: 185
|
 Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2011 1:42 pm Post subject: Stevens sends Spitfires through |
 |
|
Experienced t20 campaigner Darren Stevens produced a bowling masterclass to send Kent through to the quarter-final stages at the expense of local rivals Essex.
The veteran all-rounder, who passed 2,000 runs in the competition earlier in the night, claimed four big scalps to restrict the Eagles to 168-9 in pursuit of Kent's well-compiled 183-3.
Stevens finished with figures of 4-21 from his four-over spell and Essex, who had lost Ravi Bopara, Owais Shah and Ryan ten Doeschate during that burst, failed to recover.
Kent progress from the South Group alongside Hampshire, Somerset and Sussex and will face Leicestershire in the last eight of the competition they won back in 2007.
Contentious
After being asked to bat first by Essex skipper James Foster, the Spitfires made a promising start thanks to a steady 49-run opening stand between Joe Denly and Rob Key (21 off 16) inside seven overs.
England international Ravi Bopara broke the partnership when he cramped Key for room and rattled his middle stump, however Denly kept the scoreboard ticking over at a lively rate.
Essex gradually stemmed the flow of runs and a rare wicket-maiden in the 13th over from Tim Southee, who bowled Azhar Mahmood for a brisk 31, put the breaks on the Spitfires.
A contentious moment then followed as Scott Styris was left seething when the third umpire overturned what looked like a fantastic diving catch to dismiss Stevens.
Kent cashed in on the reprieve as Denly and Stevens took David Masters' 15th over of the match for 19 with the score racing towards 150.
Denly made 69 off 54 balls before he holed out off the bowling of Ryan ten Doeschate, but Stevens continued his late assault to move past 2,000 runs in the competition and take Kent to 183-3 at the interval.
Outfoxed
Essex laboured early in the reply and lost opener Mark Pettini in the second over when Mahmood snuck one through his defences and into the stumps.
Adam Wheater (27 off 19) was the second wicket to fall when he was outfoxed by Stevens - Jones polishing off a slick stumping - and that brought Bopara to the middle.
Owais Shah (27 from 20) launched Stevens over the stand at midwicket but the Kent all-rounder got his revenge three balls later before holding a return catch to remove the dangerous Bopara.
On 77-4 in the 11th over Essex needed something special from either of their foreign imports Styris or Ten Doeschate, however the latter was the next to be outdone by Stevens who snuck an inswinger into his middle stump.
Foster then had his middle stump flattened by Wahab Riaz and although Styris (40 off 26) and Napier (26 from 15) launched a spirited assault at the death, it was all too little too late for the home side.
Promtional Aprons
Steroids For Sale |
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
