There was a campaign-opening Metro Bank One-Day Cup defeat for Kent Spitfires against Somerset at Taunton on Friday.
Opening batsman Andy Umeed, who averaged 87.57 in last season’s competition, hit an unbeaten 114 off 121 balls to help the home side chase down a target of 268 with three wickets and 3.3 overs to spare. James Rew contributed 71 from 69 balls.
Spitfires had posted 267 all out off 49 overs after winning the toss, Joey Evison and Grant Stewart making half-centuries, while Hamid Qadri contributed a rapid 43.
Left-arm spinner Lewis Goldsworthy – back from a loan spell at Leicestershire – claimed career-best List A figures of 4-44 and seamer Alfie Ogborne (3-58) also shone.
Kent were given a solid start by Evison and South African all-rounder Beyers Swanepoel, who skied a return catch to Ogborne off a leading edge with the total on 31 in the eighth over.
Ekansh Singh, 18, marked his debut with a six over midwicket off Kasey Aldridge (2-54) before falling for 16, bowled aiming to launch another maximum off Jack Leach (1-55).
Skipper Jack Leaning then helped Evison add 37 but was undone by a reverse sweep, bottom-edging Goldsworthy onto his stumps.
Goldsworthy followed up with the wickets of Evison, whose 55 occupied 69 balls, Harry Finch and Jaydn Denly as Kent became bogged down against a spin attack also featuring Leach, Josh Thomas (0-11) and another 18-year-old debutant in Archie Vaughan – son of former England captain Michael Vaughan – who bowled six tidy overs of off-spin (0-16).
With 10 overs remaining, Spitfires were struggling on 177-6. But after Charlie Stobo had fallen to Ogborne, Stewart and Qadri delivered some overdue momentum, sharing five sixes and seven fours in a stand of 58 from 5.1 overs as Stewart went to 50 off 32 deliveries.
Somerset’s response had reached 32 in the fifth over when George Thomas miscued a pull shot from Swanepoel (2-32) to be caught at midwicket. Goldsworthy made only seven before edging a catch behind off Stobo (1-42).
But Umeed and Rew then assumed control as they batted with increasing confidence.
Rew was first to his half-century, off 47 balls, with seven fours and a big six off leg-spinner Matt Parkinson (1-57), drilled over long-off. Umeed soon followed off 62 deliveries, having struck three boundaries.
Rew had greeted Leaning’s introduction to the attack (0-9) with a six over midwicket.
When Somerset’s young wicketkeeper deposited a short ball from Evison (0-16) through mid-on for four, the partnership overtook Somerset’s List A record for the third wicket against Kent – previously 108, put together by ex-Kent all-rounder Peter Trego and Dean Elgar at Taunton in 2017.
Soon afterwards, Rew was bowled by Nathan Gilchrist (1-42), swinging to leg. Vaughan was run-out backing up without facing a ball as Stobo finger tipped a Umeed drive onto the stumps and, suddenly, Somerset were 165-4.
Umeed responded with a straight six off Stobo and was joined by skipper Sean Dickson, once of Kent, who cleared the ropes from Stewart (1-37) as the pair added 40 before he carelessly pulled a catch to midwicket off the same bowler and fell for 23.
Josh Thomas was bowled off an inside edge by Parkinson and Aldridge also fell cheaply.
But Leach thumped a six from Parkinson and Umeed repeated the dose before going to a 119-ball century with another maximum off Stobo as Somerset finished with a flourish to get to 270-7.
Leaning said: “It was a match of ebbs and flows.
“While it wasn’t the result we wanted, there was so much to take out of the way we made such a close game of it and I was proud of the team for that.
“Ekansh Singh is an exciting player, who will have enjoyed every minute of his List A debut. He hit one big shot and then had a smile on his face, fielding in front of the Somerset fans, who were giving him a tough time.
“I know what that feels like, having fielded on the boundary here myself in T20 cricket.
“Overall, I feel we are not far away from putting our game together in a manner that will make us a very good side and, when we do, consistency will follow.”
Kent will return to action against Lancashire in Blackpool on Sunday.
