Kent Spitfires were hammered by nine wickets by Northamptonshire in their final Metro Bank One-Day Cup match this summer in Canterbury as a poor season hit a new low point on Wednesday.
Former Kent spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, whose signing was only confirmed by the visitors an hour before the start of play, took 5-14 during an unbroken 10-over spell as the hosts were dismissed for a mere 82 in 35.1 overs.
Justin Broad was nearly as impressive, claiming 3-16 and Kent’s top-scorer – teenager Jaydn Denly – made just 22.
Northants needed 14 overs to reach the target, James Sales finishing on 32 not out and George Bartlett unbeaten on 31.
Although neither side stood a chance of qualifying for the knockout stages, a healthy crowd of around 2,300 turned up at The Spitfire Ground.
Kent won the toss and chose to bat – and instantly regretted it.
Both openers went cheaply: Broad had Marcus O’Riordan caught at first slip by Prithvi Shaw for five and Luke Procter (2-25) bowled Joey Evison for one.
Sunday’s centurion Harry Finch went for seven, edging Broad behind and skipper Jack Leaning went in the next over for two. He edged Procter to Gus Miller at second slip, reducing Kent to 15-4.
It nearly got worse as Denly was on eight when Indian Chahal dropped an easy caught-and-bowled chance but he immediately atoned when he had Ekansh Singh stumped for 10.
Chahal, who played two red-ball games for Kent in 2023, had Denly and Beyers Swanepoel lbw in the same over, for 22 and 0 respectively.
When he had Grant Stewart caught by Shaw for one, Kent were 52-8 and in real danger of posting their lowest-ever List A total: 60 against Somerset at Taunton in 1979.
When Matt Parkinson hit a single to steer them past that landmark, there was a smattering of dry applause but Nathan Gilchrist then hit Chahal high in the air and was caught at long-off by Raphael Weatherall.
Parkinson raised a rare cheer when he swiped Freddie Heldreich for six but, when Broad returned, he immediately had George Garrett caught by Shaw, to dismiss Kent for their fourth lowest score in this format.
The run-chase was almost entirely devoid of drama.
Northants lost Prithvi Shaw for 17 when he was caught and bowled by a juggling Swanepoel (1-23) but Sales and Bartlett coasted to the target, the latter sealing the win when he smacked Parkinson (0-17) for six over cow corner.
Interim Kent Spitfires head coach Mark Dekker said: “We’ve had a pretty honest conversation around what we need to do (moving forward) – and that’s fine.
“There are two ways to view days like this. You need a moment of honesty and, in that moment of honesty, you need to say ‘Okay, what do we need to do to be better?’. Ultimately, that’s what it is about.
“It’s not a great experience.
“We have got to sit down, look ourselves in the mirror, say ‘We weren’t good enough’ and say something has got to happen.”
On facing ex-Kent player Chahal, Dekker added: “That was a bit of a surprise!
“Especially for our younger players, we don’t want to be hiding from players like that. You want to be going out and enjoying the challenge of playing against him.
“If you fall short, that’s absolutely fine. We would understand why you fell short and you can then ask ‘Okay, how do I get a bit better at it?’.
“Would we have batted first? Would we have bowled first? We have always batted first and stand by that decision.
“We thought, later in the day, it might take turn. I think the decisions were right, executions were wrong.”
Kent now return to red-ball action as they aim to move from the foot of the County Championship Division 1 table.
They start their season run-in at Worcestershire from next Thursday.
