Warwickshire beat Kent by three wickets

KENT suffered their sixth reverse of a disappointing totesport League campaign when visitors Warwickshire edged a three-wicket win in a tense, low-scoring encounter under lights in Canterbury.

Chasing Spitfires 45-over total of 177 for nine built around an excellent one-day best 84 from Justin Kemp, Warwickshire won with a boundary in the last over of the game to cement their place in the Division 2 promotion places.

The Bears hero was former Kent all-rounder Alex Loudon, who despite cries of Judas from the home support, steered his new county home with five balls to spare with a superbly-paced unbeaten innings of 73 from 96 balls that also took the man-of-the-match award.

Like Kent’s batsmen earlier, the Bears’ batters found the going tough on a hot and steamy Canterbury night and against the wily fast-medium pacers of Andrew Hall and Martin Saggers.

Bowling tightly to split 7-2 fields the pair shared four wickets and tied Warwickshire down to such an extent that the visitors went through the last 12 of their opening 15 overs without scoring a boundary.

The Warwickshire wickets fell at a steady rate however after Martin Saggers claimed the prized scalp of Warwickshire skipper Nick Knight.

The former England left-hander, who has scored three centuries against Kent to date this summer, went for just two when he played on to edge stump when attempting to drive.

Ashes bat Ian Bell (1) went leg before after playing back and across to an Andrew Hall off-cutter then Neil Carter’s staccato innings of 19 ended when he chipped to Rob Key at cover.

Jim Troughton (2) tried to open his boundary account by driving on the up only to see Matt Walker dive full length to his left and pull off a magnificent one-handed catch.

Walker then turned to seamer Rob Joseph and despite this being the Antigua-born player’s first outing of the season he never let the side down in an excellent spell of two for 21.

He had Jonathan Trott (10) caught behind then, three deliveries later, had Tony Frost caught at slip to bring together former Kent player Alex Loudon and the wise old head of Trevor Penney.

With Kemp off the field suffering a hamstring strain, Walker had to make good his nine overs by bowling himself, Darren Stevens and Rob Ferley.

That allowed the Bears to re-group in adding 77 in 13 overs for the seventh wicket, the highest stand of the night and one that batted the visitor’s back into contention.

Loudon, was missed off a stumping chance on 37 and later dropped on 51 after reaching a half-century from 72 balls.

He lost Penney for a run-a-ball 42 to a running catch by Stevens at long-off which ought to have been the cue for Walker to bring back Hall or Saggers, but Walker delayed and Loudon took full toll.

Batting first after losing the toss in humid, overcast conditions and on a pitch that had sweated under the covers for much of the day, Kent’s top order were onto a hiding to nothing against a shiny white new ball.

In the hands of Warwickshire’s South African Kolpak signing Dewald Pretorius the ball nipped and dipped off the seam leaving Spitfires’ batters fending haplessly in its wake.

The hosts had lost half their side within 64 balls after a Pretorius purple patch of five for six in 21 overs.

Hall (8) played outside an off-cutter to be bowled then Key (9) left a huge gate for the right-armer to nip one through to hit off stump.

Two deliveries later Walker’s leaden footed push down the line saw him lose off stump to a leg-cutter then, in the next over, Stevens (6) shouldered arms to an off-cutter to go leg before.

Making a rare appearance between Tests, Jones scored only a single before he sparred at a lifting leg-cutter to edge to Trott at first slip.

Trott then got in on the act with the ball to break a stand of 38 between South Africans van Jaarsveld and Kemp.

Van Jaarsveld hit three fours in his 34-ball stay that ended when he chased a wide, slower ball only to drive it straight into the hands of Loudon at cover.

Left-handed James Tredwell (11) added a useful 32 before he went leg before having missed a sweep against Ashley Giles then, fellow spinner Rob Ferley, chipped in with a patient 14 from 40 balls before chancing a risky two to long leg only to be run out by Trott’s throw.

Kemp kept his cool head throughout the turmoil to reach his maiden league century from 60 balls and with six fours.

He accelerate toward the close to hit the first six and take 17 off Dougie Brown’s 43rd over of the innings, but perished in the final over by clubbing a Neil Carter full toss to long-on to go for 84 from 93 balls with seven fours and a six.

Even Martin Saggers contributed with a cameo 17 from 32 balls to at least help Spitfires to a face-saving total, but it was not enough for victory.