Middlesex openers condemn Spitfires after century barrage
Friday 24th June 2016
Kent Spitfires fell short after an early barrage from Middlesex’s openers left the hosts too many runs to chase in the NatWest T20 Blast at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence.
Dawid Malan won the toss and batted first: smashing 100 from 8.4 overs with former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum hit an unbeaten 87 in his final appearance of the season for Middlesex.
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Darren Stevens’ tidy four-over spell in the middle overs brought vital wickets: Malan looked in cruise control until he fell to an outstanding Tredwell catch at full stretch at point before the same pouched a sharp chance to remove Paul Stirling in the next over.
In his third over, the 40-year-old all-rounder clean bowled James Fuller before Nick Gubbins holed out in Stevens’ final over for 11.
Fabian Cowdrey ran out James Franklin with a direct hit and Matt Hunn remove Gubbins as McCullum guided the visitors past 200.
In reply, New Zealand opener Tom Latham was bowled first ball by Toby Roland-Jones who accounted for partner Denly in his next over to leave Kent reeling at 19 for two.
Skipper Sam Northeast counter-attacked with 41 off 28 in a half-century stand with Cowdrey before chipping Franklin to Harry Podmore at short third man.
The Kent all-rounder picked up the Iconic by Fitzgerald Man of the Match award for top-scoring with a measured 71 off 42 balls and holed out to Fuller off Roland-Jones as the required run rate ballooned as wickets fell around him.
Leg-spinner Nathan Sowter dismissed Alex Blake and Darren Stevens holed out on the long-on and cover boundaries either side of Sam Billings finding short fine leg off James Fuller to effectively end the chase.