Kent Spitfires Metro Bank Cup at St Lawrence County Ground, Canterbury Win 2 points

 

MONTY LEADS NOTTS TO TIGHT VICTORY

An inexperienced Notts team, with just three capped players, gained the most unlikely of victories beating Kent by one wicket with a ball to spare at Canterbury yesterday. Matt Montgomery (92 not out off 84 balls, 5x4, 1x6) was the hero playing a controlled Notts List A best innings on a slow spinning surface. Notts had slipped 225 for 9 needing 35 to win off when Dane Paterson, a genuine number 11, came to the middle. Paterson, who appeared to be the coolest man on the ground, supported Montgomery superbly ending on 16 not out off 14 balls (2x4) as the pair added an unbroken 38 runs in 5 overs to see Notts over the line and leave the large home crowd in stunned silence.

Kent, who without the injured Joey Evison, won the toss and elected to bat on a sunny morning. Sammy King came into the Eleven for the rested Brett Hutton.

Paterson (Pavilion End) and James opened the bowling. Bell-Drummond and Compton were in little trouble during the powerplay as they cruised to 45 without loss in the first 10 overs.

Harrison replaced Paterson from the Pavilion End for the 11th over with Kent reaching 50, nine off the over. Loten then came on from the Nackington Road End for the 12th over. At this stage, Notts carried little wicket taking threat on a slowish surface, with long boundaries throughout. Bell-Drummond got to his 50 off 55 balls with a single off Harrison in the 17th over. After a four over spell for 19 by Loten, Montgomery came on from the Nackington Road End with Kent reaching 100 in the 20th over. Compton reached his 50 off 69 balls with a single off Montgomery in the 22nd over. Patterson-White replaced the expensive Harrison for the 23rd over. Kent making completely untroubled progress had reached 132 for 0 at the half way stage. A 300 plus score was looking very likely.

Montgomery conceded 26 in three overs which meant a return for Loten. Captain Hameed did not bowl spin from the Nackington Road End again, whereas Kent later concentrated on spin from that end for all but the final two overs of the Notts innings. Compton (59 off 81 balls, 5x4) drove hard and low to Patterson-White who took the return catch, 138 for 1 in the 27th over. Patterson-White impressed with the ball once more.

Loten got a ball to lift and move away and Bell-Drummond (79 off 89 balls, 7x4) could only edge to Schadendorf, 144 for 2 in the 30th over. Dane Paterson returned for the 32nd over for a two spell that went for 14. James replaced him and with his third delivery had Blake (11) cutting him straight to backward point, 177 for 3 in the 36th over. Leaning (24), attempting a legside hit, was bowled off his pads, James the bowler, 188 for 4 off 38 overs, Finch attempting a run to Hameed in the covers was sent back by non-striker Jaydn Denly and was run out via a direct hit for 9, 191 for 5 in the 39th over. Patterson-White (1 for 31), who got some turn, bowled his 10 over spell straight through without conceding a boundary. Loten returned for the 42nd over and a four through backward point by Jaydn Denly saw Kent pass the 200 mark. Denly (11) charged the returning Harrison (8-0-39-1) and was stumped by Schadendorf, 206 for 6 in the 43rd over. The 17-year-old all rounder is the nephew of Joe. Kent were losing their way struggling to time the bay on the sluggish surface. Bazley was dropped on 5 an easy chance to Montgomery at long on off Loten.

Kent were 213 for 6 after 45 overs, having scored 75 for the loss of 6 wickets in the previous 18 overs. An acceleration led by Grant Stewart saw another 46 added in the last 5 overs, with Hameed unwisely elected not let Harrison bowl out his 10 overs. Stewart hit a Loten long hop for 6 over mid-wicket and two balls later lofted him for a four over extra cover. Bazley then hit a massive six over long on, 17 off the Loten's (10-0-60-1) last over. Stewart hit James for 6 over mid-wicket. Bazley (15) skied James and the bowler caught him running towards mid-on, 239 for 7 after 47 overs. Stewart (25) making room hit Paterson through point but then fell plumb leg before to the same bowler, 245 for 8 after 48 overs. Qadri (3) hold out to King on the deep mid-wicket ropes, James (10 0 45 4) the bowler, 247 for 9. Kent closed on 259 for 9 off 50 overs with Gilchrist on 7 and Parkinson on 3. Paterson finishing with 9-1-50-1. Despite wobbling in the second half of their innings it looked a winning score. James and Patterson-White the bowling standouts, the fielding although better than at Radlett was still too scruffy.

The first over of the reply bowled by Stewart (Pavilion End) went for 9 including two offside boundaries for Slater. Off-spinner Leaning surprisingly opened from the Nackington Road End conceding seven including a boundary for Martindale. James Bazley replaced Stewart for the ninth over. Notts 43 for 0 after 10 overs.

A single for Martindale off Leaning saw Notts to 50 in the 12th over. Off-spinner Qadri replaced Leaning (6-0-29-0) from the Nackington Road End for the 14th over. Slater was bowled by Qadri for a 42 ball 29, 66 for 1 in the 16th over. The left-hander never really got going being bogged down by the continuous spin from the Nackington Road End.

James on drove Bazley for four in the 17th over, the first boundary since Martindale hit Stewart for four in the 5th over. A barometer already of how difficult Notts were finding it to time the ball.

James (8) hitting across the line was bowled by Qadri in the following over, 76 for 2. Hameed hit his second delivery for four of Qadri, Compton letting the ball straight through him at mid-wicket. Gilchrist came on from the Pavilion End in the 19th over, Hameed edging him for 4. Notts 91 for 2 after 20 overs.

Martindale was run out going for a quick single to short third man that the captain thought was on. Compton, the fielder, threw to Gilchrist at the bowling end with Martindale (38 off 57 balls, 3x4) just short of his ground, 92 for 3 in the 21st over.

Notts were for the first time behind the DLS target. All hopes clearly rested on Montgomery, head and shoulders above the rest of his colleagues in his ability to play spin. A reverse swept boundary by him off Qadri saw Notts passed 100 in the 22nd over. Compton was brought in helmeted to field at short leg to Montgomery, with Kent clearly sniffing a weakness in his ability to cope with the short ball. Montgomery immediately smashed the ball aerially to the mid-wicket ropes. The next ball was a straight driven four. The last of the over Montgomery top edged a four off Gilchrist for four over long leg, 14 off the 23rd over.

Leg-spinner Matt Parkinson replaced Qadri for the 24th over. Gilchrist knocked back Hameed's middle peg. The captain, having a disappointing tournament out for 27 off 36 balls, 130 for 4 after 27 overs. Parkinson was only given two overs from the Nackington Road End as he switched ends with Qadri returning to the attack. Patterson-White (6) lofted Qadri for 4 over long on but then departed next ball edging to be caught Blake at point, 141 for 5 off 30 overs. Kent now utilising an all-spin attack.

Notts reached 150 in the 32nd over bowled by Qadri. Jaydn Denly came on for the 34th over bowling slow left arm. King (12) was stumped by Finch off Parkinson for 12, 164 for 6 in the 35th over. Denly went for 9 off his 2nd over but in his following over Schadendorf (9) missed his sweep and was bowled by the youngster, 181 for 7 in the 38th over. Parkinson only conceded two singles off the 39th over. Montgomery, meanwhile remained comfortable, reaching 50 off 49 balls with a single off Denly (5-0-29-1). Notts 189 for 7 off 40 overs, needing 71 off 10 overs.

Gilchrist bowled the 41st over and conceded seven runs. The Notts 200 came up in the following over, 6 plus a leg bye. Harrison slogged a rare boundary, a four through mid-wicket off Gilchrist (7-0-49-1), 12 off the 43rd over. Qadri returned and removed Harrison (16) caught by Compton at backward point, 220 for 8 off 44 overs. Loten cover drove his second delivery for four, but he was caught behind off the following ball by Finch, 225 for 9 in the 45th over. The game seemed all but over with Notts needing 35 off 31 balls with just one wicket remaining and one of county cricket’s biggest rabbits coming to the crease.

Qadri (10 0 47 4) went for two off his last over. Montgomery hit Parkinson (10 0 46 2) for a glorious straight six, 11 off the 47th over. Suddenly Notts had a chance.

For the first time in the whole innings, Kent captain turned to seam from the Nackington Road End with Grant Stewart being thrown the ball. Montgomery got a two and a one and then Paterson hit Stewart for a straight four. Paterson got a single off the next ball. A dot ball followed. Montgomery got a single to retain the strike, nine off the 48th over. Notts now needed 12 runs off 12 deliveries.

Bazley (6-0-21-0) returned and 4 singles were obtained by Montgomery and Paterson then a dot ball followed. Montgomery took a single off the last ball. Seven required off the last over.

There was a long discussion prior to the commencement of the final over bowled by Stewart. Montgomery edged a single. Then amazingly Paterson drove a half volley from Stewart for four through long off. Leaning brought his men in. Paterson got a single off the next ball. The scores were level with three balls left. Montgomery hit the fourth ball straight to mid-wicket. The winning hit came off the penultimate delivery, Montgomery calmly reverse sweeping Stewart (5.5-0-38-0) for four through third man. Notts had won an enthralling game by 1 wicket with 1 ball to spare and jumped to third in the congested standings.. Montgomery had played the innings of the contest and had beaten his previous List A best for Notts of 87 made against Sussex at Trent Bridge last season. MAG

Remaining group matches

Friday: Leics v Middlesex

Sunday: Kent v Essex, Leics v Yorks, Middlesex v Lancs, Surrey v Hants

Tuesday: Essex v Surrey, Hants v Kent, Middlesex v Yorks, Notts v Lancs

The squad remains the same fourteen.

Ben Slater
Ben Martindale
Matt Montgomery
Lyndon James
Haseeb Hameed
Liam Patterson-White
Dane Schadendorf
Sam King
Calvin Harrison
Tom Loten
Brett Hutton
Fateh Singh
Toby Pettman

Dane Paterson