Sussex Sharks vs Kent Spitfires - Match Report

Joey Evison was Kent’s hero with a thumping 48 off 24 balls as the Spitfires kept their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Vitality Blast alive with a two-wicket win with three balls to spare over Sussex Sharks in a low-scoring thriller at Hove.

Chasing 149, Kent were struggling on 112 for eight after Tymal Mills picked up two wickets in three balls in the 16th over. But Evison, who had already hit James Coles’ left-arm spin for successive sixes, helped Fred Klaassen take 17 off the 17th over from Ollie Robinson including another six before clearing the rope with a straight hit off Tymal Mills in the 18th.

That left Kent needing 12 from the last two and five off the final over and it was fitting that Evison hit the winning runs when he drove Danny Lamb to the extra cover boundary.

The hosts could have gone second but instead a second successive defeat at the 1st Central County Ground has left them with work to do to finish in the top four with Kent and Hampshire Hawks joining them on 22 points in a congested top half of the table.

Kent did well to bowl Sussex out for 148 off the penultimate ball on a sluggish pitch which the Sharks’ batters struggled to master.

Nathan Gilchrist led the way with a career-best 4 for 42 including two wickets off successive balls in the 10th over from which Sussex never recovered despite a cameo of 27 from 14 balls at the end by Robinson.

Gilchrist had already picked up Daniel Hughes (14) to a catch at deep mid-wicket in his first over, one of two wickets to fall in a powerplay which ended with Sussex 38 for two.

James Coles and Tom Clark led a recovery with 49 from 28 balls before Gilchrist struck his double blow. Coles lost his leg stump going too far across and Tom Alsop got a leading edge to cover first ball. Gilchrist nearly had a hat-trick but could only get fingertips to John Simpson’s straight drive.

Kent turned the screw with only 17 runs coming in the next five overs, a fine effort by their attack considering opening bowler Tom Rogers could only bowl two overs before going off with a shoulder injury.

From 109 for five Sussex lost their last five wickets in 25 balls and were indebted to Robinson’s unorthodox but highly effective hitting at the end, which included three boundaries in Gilchrist’s final over to at least give him and the rest of the Sussex attack something to defend.

Kent lost three wickets in the power play and Robinson looked as if he had put Sussex in control, though not for once with the ball. He ran out Joe Denly with a direct hit on the run and Bell-Drummond, who was beaten by his accurate throw from the deep coming back for a risky second, after making 47 off 36 balls.

Bell-Drummond’s departure left Kent 88 for six in the 14th over and when Mills plucked out Jack Leaning’s middle stump with a yorker and bowled Tom Rogers his side were in control – but Evison had other ideas. 

By ECB Reporters Network, supported by Rothesay