Daniel Bell-Drummond fifty leads Kent to simple win at Gloucestershire
Kent 138 for 3 (Bell-Drummond 56*, Cox 31*) beat Gloucestershire 137 (Hammond 30, Leaning 2-16) by seven wickets
Daniel Bell-Drummond scored an unbeaten half-century to information Kent to a seven-wicket win over Gloucestershire in a one-sided Vitality Blast match at Bristol’s Seat Unique Stadium.
The former England Lions opener hit 56 not out from 49 balls and shared in an unbroken match-winning stand of 61 with Jordan Cox, who contributed an unbeaten 31, as Kent chased down a goal of 138 with three overs to spare to finish a T20 double over their South Group rivals.
Gloucestershire began properly sufficient, advancing to 51 for 1 due to a brisk 30 from Miles Hammond, solely to then lose 9 wickets for 86 runs in a collapse which culminated in them being dismissed for a completely insufficient 137 in 19.3 overs.
Seamers Michael Hogan, Kane Richardson and Grant Stewart every claimed two wickets apiece, whereas off spinner Jack Leaning returned figures of two for 16 from 4 overs as Kent produced a coherent efficiency within the discipline, absolutely justifying the choice to bowl first.
Gloucestershire have now misplaced 5 of their eight matches on this format and solely victory over fourth-placed Hampshire in Bristol on Tuesday will suffice to maintain alive their exterior hopes of creating the knockout levels. Although Kent have now received three successive video games, additionally they path Hampshire by 4 factors and have a lot floor to make up if they’re to stage a late problem.
Put in to bat, Gloucestershire made the worst potential begin, Grant Roelofsen pushing on the first ball of the innings, despatched down by Fred Klaassen, and feathering a catch to Jack Leaning at slip. Apparently unperturbed by such an early setback, Hammond and Ben Wells set about redressing the stability in a hard-hitting second-wicket alliance of 51 in 5 overs.
But Kent rapidly regained a stranglehold, Richardson claiming two wickets within the house of three deliveries within the sixth over to nip any sustained restoration within the bud. He clear bowled a swinging Ben Wells for a run-a-ball 15 after which induced new batter Ben Charlesworth to likelihood his arm and gap out to Tuwanda Muyeye at deep sq. leg with out scoring as the house facet accomplished the powerplay on 57 for 3.
Gloucestershire’s plight deepened within the subsequent over, Ollie Price risking a fast single towards Stewart and being run out for 5 by Cox’s fast pick-up-and-throw from mid-on, whereas Hammond fell within the eighth, caught on the wicket by Sam Billings off the bowling of off spinner Leaning.
Gloucestershire’s new captain had raised 30 from 20 balls, with 5 fours and a six, and on the level of his departure, the hosts have been 64 for five, having surrendered 4 wickets in simply 15 balls.
Leaning struck once more within the tenth, Graeme van Buuren hoisting him straight to Cox at long-off as Gloucestershire additional subsided to 73 for six on the midway stage. Slow left armer George Linde then conceded simply 15 runs in 18 balls from the Bristol Pavilion End as Tom Price and Zafar, charged with the not inconsiderable activity of rebuilding, have been successfully annoyed by spin through the essential center overs.
Demonstrating vital urgency below duress, Zafar hit Leaning again down the bottom for six within the 14th over in a quest to re-ignite an innings which had misplaced it is method, whereas Tom Price was dropped on 9 by Hogan at quick positive leg off the bowling of Klaassen, a lapse that advised a Gloucestershire restoration was nonetheless potential.
But the returning Hogan ended any likelihood of that, persuading Zafar to gap out to long-off for a 20-ball 25 after which eradicating Matt Taylor in equivalent style 4 balls later. Tom Price skied Stewart to Billings and departed for 11, however Payne smashed 16 off 9 balls in a last-wicket stand of 23 with Smith, to at the least give house supporters a glimmer of hope.
Further hope was forthcoming as Payne ran out Muyeye off his personal bowling within the first over to topic the Kent reply to early strain. When Tom Price held a wise return catch to dismiss Joe Denly for 11 and declare his maiden T20 wicket, the guests have been 38 for two within the sixth over and Gloucestershire’s gamers have been ready to consider.
Captain Billings supplied a vital change of drugs, plundering 15 runs from one Ollie Price over to set a tempo which rapidly noticed him catch up Bell-Drummond and advance the rating to 75 for two on the finish of 10 overs.
By the time Wells ran out Billings for an 18-ball 28 to terminate a third-wicket alliance of 39, the speed was nearly right down to a run a ball and Kent, with Bell-Drummond set, have been handily positioned.
Cox picked up the place Billings had left off and Hammond recalled the skilled Payne to bowl the fifteenth in a last-ditch try to show the tide. But Cox helped himself to 10 runs off the over and Bell-Drummond went to 50 through 46 balls as Kent closed inexorably on their goal.
Having performed his half fantastically properly, Cox completed on 31 not out from 20 balls, whereas Bell-Drummond weighed in with a quartet of fours and a brace of sixes in an especially well-paced innings.