Gidman and Rouse hit career-bests in Windwards defeat
Saturday 11th February 2017
Will Gidman hit a second successive half-century in a century stand with Adam Rouse that spared Kent’s blushes as Windward Islands Volcanoes eventually won by six wickets at The Coolidge Ground in Antigua.
In the seventh match on the FGS Tour, skipper Sam Northeast won the toss and opted to bat first after a short shower delayed the start.
Kent’s top order collapsed from 21 without loss to 35 for five as the Volcanoes seamers put the tourists under pressure.
Marvin Matthew struck twice in the sixth over: Adam Ball, promoted to the top of the order, nicked behind to Windwards ‘keeper Sunil Ambris before Northeast followed three balls later, adjudged LBW.
Opener Daniel Bell-Drummond fell in the following over, caught at slip by Devon Smith before another two batsman perished in the 11th over.
Left-arm paceman Delorn Johnson came on at the Northern end and trapped Sean Dickson LBW before Blake was caught behind by Ambris without scoring.
The fifth wicket heralded the arrival of Adam Rouse, who batted patiently with Will Gidman as both batsmen accumulated List A career-best scores.
Both men steadied the ship before opening up with more expansive shots and shared a stand of 104 before Rouse gave a sharp return catch to former West Indies off-spinner Shane Shillingford to depart for 40, surpassing his previous record score of 36 not out against the same opponents earlier on the tour.
Man-of-the-match Gidman passed his previous career-best in one-day cricket before being caught just inside the boundary at deep mid-wicket in pursuit of his maiden one-day century.
Haggett pushed the Spitfires close to 200 with a cameo of 22 before being run out attempting an ambitious single in the 44th over.
The tailenders edged Kent up to 205 and gave the Spitfires something to bowl at.
The returning new-ball duo of Ivan Thomas and Calum Haggett excelled early on and were rewarded by an early breakthrough with Dickson pouching a smart chance at point to remove Johnson Charles for 5 to leaves Volcanoes on 12-1.
A 50 partnership between Devon Smith and opener Kavem Hodge steadied the ship before a sensational reflex catch from Adam Ball dismissed Smith via a deflection of ‘keeper Rouse.
James Tredwell and Kent’s young seamers could not restrict the scoring enough in the middle overs and in-form batsman Sunil Ambris joined Hodge to pass 400 runs for the tournament as he edged towards a seventh successive half-century.
The Volcanoes gloveman fell just short as Calum Haggett (1/27 off 10 overs) was rewarded with a deserved wicket as he trapped the right-hander in front for 48.
Thomas replaced Haggett at the Northern end and removed Hodge as Rouse took a smart chance off the outside edge.
With plenty of overs and wickets to spare, skipper Sebastien shepherded the Volcanoes home with 13 balls to spare as Kent bemoaned the early batting collapse that gave them such an uphill struggle.