Clydesdale Bank 40: Kent defeat Leicestershire by 6 wickets
Kent kept alive its hopes of a place in the Clydesdale Bank 40 semi-finals with an easy six-wicket victory over Leicestershire at Grace Road, Leicester on Monday. Leicestershire’s respectable yet gettable 40-overs total of 182 was comfortably chased by the visitors at the loss of just four wickets with plenty of overs to spare.
It was Kent’s second consecutive win in two days that earned it third place in Group C from No 4. The previous day, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Hampshire-c789 has gone a number down on the Group C points table and now rests at No 4.
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Leicestershire-c807’s start of the innings was not as bad as was the end due to couple of quick middle order wickets followed by capitulation of its lower order. Wicketkeeper batsman Tom New top scored with 47 runs off 64 balls followed by Mathew Boyce who logged 41 runs from 58 deliveries with the help of five muscular boundaries. Both the openers, James Benning and Jacques du Toit scored 26 runs apiece. Six of the Leicestershire batsmen fell for single digit scores including two ducks as well of James Taylor and Harry Gurney.
An opening stand of 86 runs shared by Joe Denly and skipper Robert Key set Kent on its way to six wicket win. The opening stand was well complimented by unbroken fifth wicket partnership of 73 runs between Darren http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Jigar-Naik-c1694 took one wicket each.
Earlier, Kent’s skipper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/James-Benning-c1638 and Jacques du Toit, after being put to bat, started their side’s innings in a steady fashion mustering 44 runs from the initial six overs. Benning was bludgeoning with the bat hitting six boundaries in his 22-ball cameo that plundered him 26 runs. Benning was caught to his own aggressiveness as a fuller delivery off Matt Coles, that the pugnacious opener tried to pull through the boundary line once again, chipped his stumps leaving the side 44 for 1 on the board after 6.4 overs.
Du Toit shared 27 runs partnership with Joshua Cobb before the opener squandered his wicket needlessly while taking a careless run between the wickets. Du Toit’s 26 came through 37 balls including four lofty boundaries as well.
Du Toit was soon followed back by James Taylor, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Taylor-c92915 was trapped leg before by Simon Cook after scoring first ball duck while Cobb was trapped lbw by Malinga Bandara the next over. Cook struck back in his next over when he sent Greg Smith for 7.
At 81 for 5, the hosts were desperate for a big partnership and that’s the time when http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Tom-New-c2702 took the initiative with a succession of innovative shots. The pair played a flurry of sweet boundaries to drag the side towards a competitive score. A half century partnership between the two eased the nerves of the hosts. Kent attack had to wait for next 16 overs for another success. Malinga Bandara halted the 79-run stand having Boyce caught behind.
Next four wickets of Leicestershire made a combined contribution of four runs. With the wickets clattering at the other end, Tom New kept the wicket, taking the side to a respectable total of 182 as the whole team was bundled out on the first ball of penultimate over. Matt http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Coles-c51379 claimed three wickets conceding 27 runs in his six overs spell. Simon Cook and Malinga Bandara shared two wickets each while James Tredwell and Dewald Nel both took one wicket apiece.
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