Kent Spitfires were defeated in their first home T20 Blast match this season against Surrey in Canterbury on Friday night.
They had looked well-set in pursuit of 194 at 109-2, only to collapse, losing four wickets in eight balls, as Kent head coach Adam Hollioake saw his side go down by 42 runs against the club where he spent the bulk of his playing career.
Hollioake said: “It’s a funny one when you’re chasing big totals like that.
“I felt that we had opportunities to put ourselves in with a chance of winning. Those wickets in the space of half a dozen balls sort of put an end to it.
“When you have got a big total you’re chasing like that, if you have a collapse at any point, or just two or three bad overs, that can put an end to it. That’s what happened tonight.
“We probably let them get a few too many with the ball, if we’re being honest, and that’s what left us a bit short.”
Spitfires skipper Sam Billings, who confirmed fellow wicketkeeper-batsman Chris Benjamin dislocated his shoulder the previous night against Middlesex at the toss, made two changes as he elected to bowl first.
Nathan Gilchrist also made way for the pair of leg-spinner Matt Parkinson and batting all-rounder Jack Leaning.
The game’s first delivery from Dutch international Fred Klaassen (0-25) was sent to the leg-side boundary by Ollie Pope but only just wide of an outstretched Zak Crawley.
There was a home scare when wicketkeeper Billings sustained a facial blow, although he was quick to recover.
Next in the wars was Surrey opener Dom Sibley as he took a short bowl from Australian overseas player Tom Rogers (0-58) on the hand in front of a big crowd of more than 4,200.
But the 29-year-old sent another Rogers short ball for a massive maximum over the leg-side boundary from the next delivery.
The home side first turned to the spin of Joe Denly (0-13) after the powerplay, only for the 39-year-old to immediately serve-up a full toss that Pope dispatched over the leg-side boundary for his sixth boundary of his innings, as the visitors raced to 67-0 from seven overs.
A single off Parkinson (2-19) in the next over brought up Pope’s half-century within 29 balls.
Spitfires finally made a much-needed breakthrough, however, when Pope miscued Parkinson to Denly at cover to go for 53. That left the visitors 87-1 by the halfway stage.
All-rounder Grant Stewart (3-27) and Parkinson then stemmed the flow of runs before the latter struck again. Jason Roy was dismissed for four, picking out Rogers, who hurried round from long-on.
Parkinson was well in the game and he caught Sibley for 36 at short third man from Stewart’s bowling to leave Surrey 96-3.
Surrey skipper Sam Curran also went in the 13th over when he tamely chipped to Denly from Stewart.
Wes Agar’s return to the attack (1-37) was instantly greeted by a straight maximum from Mitchell Santner. New Zealand white-ball captain Santner attempted to repeat the shot two balls later, only to succeed in picking out Rogers.
Big-hitting away player Laurie Evans – who has played his club cricket for Kent League Championship side Dartford this summer – took a real liking to Rogers. He wrestled back momentum with 29 from the 17th over, which included three sixes.
Evans, 37, then went to 50 in only 20 balls when he scampered two off Rogers.
But Evans lost another partner a few balls later as Ollie Sykes was ran out by Leaning for 15, the pair attempting to run two to keep Evans on strike.
Stewart did well to restrict Evans to a single from the first ball of the final away over before Chris Jordan picked out Rogers on the fence as he was dismissed for a golden duck.
But he could do little to prevent Evans hammering the penultimate ball for six, ending unbeaten on 62 from 26 balls.
Kent’s run-chase suffered an early blow when Daniel Bell-Drummond was excellently ran out for two by Surrey skipper Curran at mid-on from Dan Worrall’s bowling (0-20).
That brought Crawley – fresh from his half-century against Middlesex – to the crease. He crashed his first delivery to the fence.
Tawanda Muyeye then sent Nathan Smith (1-36) for the first home six of their innings, followed by his own cover-driven four, to leave the hosts 46-1 from the powerplay.
But Muyeye, 24, was dismissed for 26. Sibley did just enough to stay inside the rope off Santner’s spin (3-28) to take a leg-side catch.
Denly came out with just as much attacking intent, however, clipping Jordan Clark (0-19) for four in the eighth over after a huge maximum by 27-year-old Crawley.
Kent appeared well on course at this stage. Their run-chase was even aided in the ninth over by a plethora of Curran wides to leave them 87-2 at the halfway mark.
Crawley got the hosts to the 100-run mark at the end of the 11th over through another six.
But a 60-run partnership between Denly and Crawley finished when the former picked out Jordan (0-21) as he went for 28 from 22 balls. From the next ball, Rogers – promoted up the order – chipped to Curran off Santner’s spin.
And it was three wickets in three balls for Surrey when Crawley was ran out for 46 after a mix-up with Billings to leave Spitfires 109-5 in the 13th over, leaving the home contingent stunned.
Kent’s collapse continued as Jordan composed himself to catch Billings from Smith’s bowling.
Any evaporating home hopes went when Stewart picked out Roy for two and Leaning – somehow – reverse-swept straight at Sibley from Curran (2-24), leaving the hosts 118-8 in the 16th over.
To their credit, Agar and Klaassen continued to go down trying to go hard, but Australian Agar was ran out for five by Jordan to leave Spitfires 138-9 in the 18th over.
Klaassen, 32, finished 21 not out but Kent’s unbeaten Blast start came to a close, finishing their innings on 151-9. Parkinson offered an unbeaten run-a-ball six.
Kent will face Hampshire Hawks at Canterbury’s Spitfire Ground in their next Blast game this Sunday.
