Dan Christian and Liam Livingstone smash centuries in comfortable wins for Nottinghamshire and Lancashire
Friday 6 July 2018 22:54, UK
Joe Denly had an incredible night as he scored a hundred and then took a hat-trick as Kent Spitfires beat Surrey by six runs in their Vitality Blast opener at the Kia Oval.
Denly smashed 102 from 63 balls, helping the Spitfires to 173-6 after winning the toss and opting to bat first.
Surrey were on course for a successful chase, though, when they reached 135-3 in the 13th over with Ben Foakes (75no) going well before Denly, and his part-time legspin, decimated the middle order - Surrey eventually bowled out for 167 in the penultimate over.
Simon Harmer pulled Dwayne Bravo to the boundary from the penultimate ball to ensure Essex Eagles beat Middlesex by three wickets at Chelmsford. SCORECARD
Adam Wheater smashed 45 off 18 balls and Varun Chopra contributed 38 to an impressive opening stand in pursuit of Middlesex's 180-run target, but the Essex run chase stumbled thereafter and the tail were left with eight to win from the final over.
Essex whittled that down to four from three balls and then three from two before Harmer became the hero of a dramatic night.
Earlier, Middlesex posted 179-6 after choosing to bat first - Steve Eskinazi and James Simpson both striking 46 - but it wasn't to be enough.
At the Ageas Bowl, Hampshire suffered a Lord's hangover as they were skittled for 105 by Glamorgan in defeat in their first game following victory in the Royal London One-Day Cup. SCORECARD
Andrew Salter led Glamorgan's brilliant bowling attack, taking 3-34, while Graham Wagg (2-17) and Colin Ingram (2-15) also took two wickets as they clinched their biggest-ever margin of victory in the format.
Earlier, the visitors managed 168-6 from their 20 overs.
Somerset began their Vitality Blast campaign in style with a rousing six-wicket win over arch-rivals Gloucestershire at Taunton. SCORECARD
The visitors posted 188-6 after losing the toss - Ryan Higgins leading the way with 55 off 35 balls and Jack Taylor contributing 34 from 18.
In reply, Steve Davies (60 off 28) and Peter Trego (72no off 41) set about an injury-hit Gloucestershire attack with a blistering second-wicket stand of 90 in 7.1 overs to lay the foundation for a convincing win with 19 balls to spare.
Dan Christian struck the one of the fastest hundreds in T20 history as Nottinghamshire Outlaws beat Northamptonshire Steelbacks by 58 runs. SCORECARD
Christian's 37-ball century with seven fours and eight sixes was the joint-seventh fastest in the history of the format and the second-fastest in the domestic game.
His brutal hitting saw Notts rack up 219-6 - equalling the highest T20 total at Wantage Road, set only on Wednesday - and despite Ben Duckett's fine 88 from 45 balls, Northants were bowled out for 161 in reply.
Liam Livingstone demolished Derbyshire with a brilliant century off 49 balls as Lancashire Lightning secured a stylish nine-wicket win in their game in Derby. SCORECARD
Lancashire first restricted Derbyshire to 161-4 - Wayne Madsen top-scoring with an unbeaten 76 off 49 balls - before Livingstone and Alex Davies (50no off 35) surged towards the finishing line on a tide of boundaries, clinching victory with some 33 balls to spare.
Worcestershire Rapids edged out local rivals Birmingham Bears by four runs at New Road despite another fine knock from Sam Hain. SCORECARD
Hain followed up his excellent Tri-Series for England Lions - in which he scored two centuries - and his unbeaten 45 in the Bears' opening win over Notts by hitting 70 off 44 balls.
But, the Rapids' total of 192-7 proved just beyond Hain and the Bears - New Zealand's Martin Guptill earlier firing a 40-ball 51 for the hosts.
Imran Tahir starred with the ball, taking 4-14 - his best ever figures in England - as Durham Jets beat Leicestershire Foxes by 33 runs at Grace Road. SCORECARD
Tahir was the main architect of a Leicestershire collapse from 83-2 to 120 all out in 18.3 overs when chasing 154 to win.
