Kent’s winning run in the One-Day Cup came to an abrupt end as they lost by five wickets against Middlesex at Beckenham on Sunday.
After being bowled out for 204 in less than 45 overs, Kent saw the visitors knock off the runs inside 32 overs for the loss of five wickets.
On the same pitch used in Wednesday’s win over Hampshire, Kent opted for the extra spin option with Hamid Qadri replacing Ekansh Singh in their line-up.
Despite losing Beyers Swanepoel in the second over, Kent’s early progress after winning the toss was relatively untroubled with Marcus O’Riordan looking in sparkling touch.
He hit two sixes in the fourth over bowled by Ishaan Kaushal, who went for 20 in the over as Spitfires raced to 34-1. That became 68-1 after 10 overs despite Joey Evison’s struggles to rotate the strike.
Evison took 35 balls to make 14 before he was trapped leg before by Josh de Caires (2-25) as Kent were 85-2 in the 14th over. O’Riordan quickly followed for 58 off 46 balls, another lbw victim to a spinner with Luke Holman taking his scalp.
Jaydn Denly (10) started to rebuild alongside skipper Jack Leaning but the recovery was short-lived and Kent were 109-4 in the 20th over when Denly’s sweep picked out Joe Cracknell on the legside boundary.
Harry Finch, having batted stubbornly to get his side over the line last time out, was more expansive and helped move the score on to 145-4 in the 28th over before he was trapped plumb in front by Ethan Bamber for 23.
Charlie Stobo was stumped for just two and Leaning (28) was caught at slip as spin ripped through the Kent order. From 85-1, they were struggling to bat out their overs at 157-7 – a task made even harder when Grant Stewart edged behind for 10 six runs later.
It was left to Qadri and Parkinson to add some respectability to the Kent total, putting on 40 runs in 11 overs for the ninth wicket. Nathan Gilchrist made one before he was run out for one by de Caires to leave Kent 204 all out with more than five overs to spare.
Kent needed early wickets and Stewart duly obliged, removing Nathan Fernandes (8) and Sam Robson (3) in identical fashion in successive overs, both caught at first slip by Stobo.
Middlesex recovered from 28-2 in the fifth over, thanks to an excellent partnership between Joe Cracknell and Robbie White. Cracknell’s half-century arrived in 57 balls.
Kent didn’t introduce spin until Parkinson bowled the 16th over and while he created chances, the runs flowed for Middlesex. Cracknell went for one attempted six too many, finding Swanepoel at long-off to depart for 88, his side already nearly home on 134-3 after 20 overs.
Jack Davies (35) hit Parkinson for a six that cleared the ice-cream van at deep mid-wicket but holed out in the next over to give Denly a late wicket.
Four dot balls later, White (50) edged Parkinson behind with Middlesex still needing 12 for victory on 193-5.
But it was always going to be too little, too late for Kent who failed to post enough runs on the board to give themselves any chance.
Kent resume their One-Day Cup campaign with a trip to New Road to face Worcestershire on Wednesday.
