Zak Crawley’s magnificent 75 helped steer the Kent Spitfires to a seven-wicket victory over Sussex in a high-scoring, if controversial, Vitality Blast clash at Canterbury. Sussex’s Tom Clark claimed to have caught Crawley off Tymal Mills in the 17th over when he was on 53. Crawley hit three sixes in the eighteenth over after refusing to walk and was not out to the umpires when Kent was closing in on victory.
Clark had earlier smashed a scorching 79 off 29 balls, including nine fours and six sixes, but Sussex slowed considerably in the latter stages of their innings as South African all-rounder Dian Forrester took 3 for 25 on his debut for Kent. Forrester then finished it off in style, creaming Mills for four, to end a fantastic debut with ten balls to spare.
The visitors won the toss and opted to bat and made a sensational start, Clark racing to 50 off just 20 balls after plundering 22 from Matt Milnes’ fourth over. Sussex raced to 92 without loss at the end of the powerplay as 30 runs were taken in Tom Rogers’ sixth over. Clark then hammered Kent’s other debutant, Bertie Foreman, who was hauled to Tawanda Muyeye on the midwicket boundary. Daniel Hughes sent back Forrester for 26, caught by Daniel Bell-Drummond at extra cover.
The next over for Forrester was a double-wicket maiden. After chipping John Simpson to Joe Denly for a four, he caught and bowled Tom Alsop off the subsequent ball. After 15, Sussex dropped to 149 for 4 after Jack Leaning blocked the hat-trick ball.
James Coles was subsequently caught by Milnes at backward square for 28 by Jake Lintott. After taking a single in the fifth, Danny Lamb smashed Fred Klaassen for 17 off the first four balls in the 19th, but Leaning pushed Klaassen to Muyeye at midwicket and was caught for 30. Additionally, it seemed as though the hosts had given themselves a chance when Milnes restricted Sussex to just four off the final over.
At the conclusion of the fourth, they were dealt a blow when Henry Crocombe caught and bowled Muyeye for 26. Daniel Bell-Drummond added just two more when he miscued Danny Briggs to Tymal Mills at backward point, despite being cleared to continue after being struck on the shoulder by a forceful Crawley drive while he was on 27.
Sometimes Crawley rode his luck. Fynn Hudson-Prentice then got Sam Billings for 28, miscuing him to Lamb after Simpson lost the opportunity to stump him off Lamb when he was on nine. When Crawley was on 42, Alsop had a tough opportunity to catch him over the boundary for six, and he needed Briggs’ single to reach 50.
Crawley sparks controversy as Kent close in on win
After Crawley pulled Mills to Clark at midwicket in the 17th, commotion erupted. Kent needed 40 from the final four. The umpires granted Crawley, who was on 53, the benefit of the doubt when he resisted Sussex’s assertion of the catch.
When he subsequently crushed Lamb over cow corner for another maximum and then struck him for another six straight back over his head, he was jeered by Sussex spectators, but the jeers were overshadowed by applause. Forrester pulled Mills through for four when Kent suddenly just needed two from the final two overs.
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