Thursday 9 June 2016 13:27, UK
Kent held their nerve to secure a thrilling eight-run NatWest T20 Blast win over South Group rivals Hampshire at Canterbury.
David Griffiths dismissed Shahid Afridi (35) and Darren Sammy (30), finishing with 2-24 to help the hosts secure their second win of the campaign.
In pursuit of Kent's 193-3, Hampshire made a miserable start when Jimmy Adams (five) chipped the fourth ball of the reply from Darren Stevens straight to mid-on.
Then, in the third over, Lewis McManus (six) was run out at the non-striker's end after Joe Denly's sharp stop and throw from cover.
Adam Wheater and Sean Ervine combined to take the visitors on to 48-2 after the powerplay.
Ivan Thomas replaced Griffiths at the Nackington Road End and struck with his third ball by bowling Wheater (19) before James Tredwell held on to a catch to remove Liam Dawson (six).
Ervine was on 31 when he clubbed to deep square leg only to be reprieved when Thomas' waist-high full-toss was adjudged a no-ball, but further confusion between the batsmen led to the run-out of Will Smith (nine).
Ervine decided to cut loose, clubbing two successive sixes off Stevens as he reached a 32-ball 50, only to become the third run-out victim when trying to scamper a single off Tredwell.
Afridi and Sammy in tandem improved Hampshire's scoring rate but the former was dismissed when he drove a low full-toss from Griffiths to long-on.
With 26 needed off 12 balls, Sammy pulled Matt Coles for six and struck another boundary but, to the last ball of the over, a miscued drive was gathered by the bowler, who was able to run out Gareth Andrew, backing up.
The target was down to 14 off the last over from Griffiths, and Gareth Berg chipped to long off to bring Sammy on to strike, but he edged behind and Hampshire's hopes went with him.
Earlier, Kent openers Daniel Bell-Drummond and Denly faced four different bowlers in as many overs at the start, but had no alarms in posting 52 without loss at the end of the six powerplay overs.
Denly tucked into the bowling of Afridi with a brace of leg-side sixes on his way to a 30-ball 50.
It was his 20th half-century in the format and he passed another milestone soon after with his 3,000th run in the short form but, with his score on 59, Denly toe-ended a pull against Tino Best to hole out at deep mid-wicket.
Three balls later Best bowled Bell-Drummond (35) as the in-form opener worked across the line.
The hosts regrouped through Sam Billings and Sam Northeast before the former upped the momentum with a straight six, again off Afridi, as the Spitfires posted their 150 in the 17th over.
Billings reached his 50 in the penultimate over from 27 balls. It was his first double-figure score for the county since returning from the IPL last month.
Northeast (38) perished to the penultimate delivery of the innings, ending a stand of 94 in nine overs with Billings, who finished unbeaten on 55 from 30 balls.
