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Kent Cricket suffer 31-run defeat to Surrey in Friends Life t20 South Division as Azhar Mahmood and Ricky Ponting perform at Canterbury

Matt Coles
Matt Coles

Kent Spitfires suffered their second home Friends Life t20 defeat inside 48 hours as they fell to a 31-run defeat against Surrey at Canterbury on Sunday afternoon.

Infront of a big crowd enjoying glorious weather, the visitors won the toss and piled on the runs with Steven Davies carrying his bat for an unbeaten 95 from 70 balls to help the visitors post 176-3 rom their 20 overs.

Despite an impressive 61 from Sam Northeast and a trademark blast of 30 from Darren Stevens, seven wickets fell for the addition of 46 runs in the final nine overs as Kent lost momentum when in a good position for the second time in as many games.

Surrey made a blistering start in the sweltering conditions and raced to 66-0 from their opening seven overs, with explosive overseas player Vernon Philander’s first over producing three fours and three near misses as the batsmen struggled to read him.

After conceding 28 runs from 10 balls late in Friday night's loss to Middlesex, Matt Coles was introduced earlier and made the breakthrough with his very first ball, getting Jason Roy to tap one straight back to him for a caught-and-bowled for 16.

Former Aussie skipper Ricky Ponting strode to the middle at three, receiving a warm welcome from the baking spectators.

Ponting clubbed a six over his shoulder off Coles toward the new Sainsburys in his pacey 19 but departed moments later when attempting a straight drive down the ground, mistiming it into the sky and, after a delay of what seemed an age, giving Coles his second c&b of the innings to finish with an impressive 2-20 from his four overs.

Davies rattled 12 fours and a six in his fine innings and went into the final over with his side on 158-2 and needing five more for a century.

Mitch Claydon bowled it but Aussie Glenn Maxwell took him for 12 off the first four balls before holing out to a diving Northeast at mid-off for 32 off 18 balls.

With Davies unable to get on strike, former Kent hero Azhar Mahmood came in to face the final ball and smashed a straight six over Claydon’s head to see the visitors post 176-3.

The reply began brightly with both Northeast and Rob Key clubbing early sixes as 20 came off the opening two overs, however Key went for 17 after getting a bottom edge to a Jade Dernbach delivery and popping it up for Jon Lewis to catch on the run.

Replacement Sam Billings (1) was caught by Ponting at mid-on after a poor shot from a Mahmood delivery to make it 42-2 after 4.3 overs.

Stevens came in at four and produced some spectacular boundaries in his 17-ball stay, putting on 55 with Northeast for the third wicket, but was eventually trapped LBW by Lewis as he attempted a third six with a big shot to the leg side with Kent now 97-3.

Northeast passed fifty – which included four fours and two sixes, - but Ben Harmison didn’t stay long for his seven before looping one to Ponting at long-on off Gareth Batty to leave it at 106/4.

Alex Blake hooked one from Zander de Bruyn down the throat of Jason Roy on the boundary for nine and moments later Coles was back in the pavilion without scoring after swinging wildly at a de Bruyn ball which clattered his off-stump.

With 50 needed from the final four overs the pressure was on Northeast, but he followed Coles back moments later, bowled by Mahmood attempting an ambitious shot, to become the third wicket in five deliveries.

Tredwell was bowled by England colleague Dernbach for one as the contest fizzled out, while Claydon (1) went to the penultimate ball, sending a Dernbach delivery to the boundary, only to be well caught by Maxwell.

Dernbach finished with 3-22 off four overs while Mahmood claimed 2-22 from four and de Bruyn 2-24.

Kent will seek to bounce back from the two losses when they host Esssex Eagles at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, on Friday night.

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