Kent Spitfires arrive at Stanley Park on Sunday to face Lancashire
Lightning in their second game in this year’s Metro Bank One Day Cup
competition. Both sides have played just one game plus a warm-up
game so there is little to go on as far as form is concerned.
However both sides have lost their opening matches, Lightning
defeated by Durham and the Spitfires losing to Somerset. And the most
noticeable feature of the two games is that there are some different
names in both sides because The Hundred competition has taken away
quite a number of each side’s regular players.
There were warm up games against non-first-class sides so, as
was to be expected (in most cases anyway!) both county sides won
comfortably. Kent defeated Bedfordshire by 57 runs but not before the
minor county had amassed a respectable total of 301-9, falling short of
Kent’s 358-6. In the latter total, South African Beyers Swanepool top
scored with 120 before retiring out, while wicketkeeper Harry Finch
made 97. In reply Bedfordshire’s Jake Tarling led the way with an
excellent 141 and Amrit Basra, 65, was his main support. For Kent,
Jaskaran Singh (who made his competition debut against Lancashire at
Stanley Park last season) was the most successful bowler with 4-70.
As for Lancashire in their warm up match, they defeated Cumbria
in a 43-over contest by 39 runs after making 231-8 with Harry Singh, son
of former Blackpool player Rudra Singh, top scoring with 79 and George
Bell and George Lavelle, two wicketkeepers in the side, assisting with 75
and 42 respectively. Then six bowlers shared the wickets as Cumbria
could manage only 192-9.
And so the competition proper, Somerset defeated Kent, who
made 267 all out with Joey Evison making 66 at the top of the order and
numbers eight and nine, Grant Stewart and Hamidullah Qadri
contributing 51 and 43 respectively. Lewis Goldsworthy took 4-44 for
Somerset, who
went on to post 270-7 with Andy Umeed making 114 and James Rew
71..
Meanwhile Lancashire, despite a magnificent 147 by Josh
Bohannon made 287 to fall 57 runs short of Durham’s 344-4 with skipper
Alex Lees making 111, Bas de Leede 72 and Colin Ackermann 59.
So both sides will be looking for their first victory in the competition
so that they will stay in contention for a place in the play-offs later in
August.
If we believe the weather forecast, it is supposed to stay fine all
day, so do come along to join the crowds and enjoy what should be
some exciting cricket!
Gerry W
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