A record-breaking crowd saw Kent Women beaten by 41 runs against Middlesex at Canterbury on Sunday.
The first part of a double header that saw the men counterparts meet later in the day saw Kent fail to chase down Middlesex’s total of 163-7.
A crowd of nearly 1,500 watched the game and Elsa Barnfather – who made an eye-catching 35 – admitted: “It was amazing, the support of the crowd was so good.
“The crowd were behind us and cheered every positive thing we did.
“Kent have been so supportive, the fans have been amazing and I’ve never experienced anything like this before, I can’t thank them enough for coming out to support us.”
Kent struck in the second over with Issy Routledge pulling Zeena Bilal straight to Isabella James at square leg for one.
Middlesex had advanced to 50-1 by the end of the powerplay, with Gayatri Gole particularly impressive, hitting six boundaries.
Captain Megan Belt was removed from the attack at the start of what would have been her second over for two balls above waist-height. The eight balls she ended up bowling cost her team 17 runs.
The visitors had progressed without alarm to 90-1 after 10 overs before Cole reached her half-century from 32 balls at the start of the 12th over.
She’d put on 98 for the second wicket alongside Finty Trussler, who reached 39 before driving Izzy Kirby to Belt at mid-off.
In the next over, Ella Darlington’s yorker removed Gole for an excellent 61 and Middlesex were pegged back to 109-3 in the 13th over.
Isabella James had Saskia Horley caught at backward point by Darlington for two in the next over and Kent had taken three wickets for 12 runs.
Sydney Gorham bowled Pippa Sproul for 24 at the start of the 19th over and three balls later Gorham ran out Riva Pindoria for four.
Anaya Patel was run out attempting an optimistic second at the start of the final over, leaving Middlesex 158-7 and they advanced that score to 163.
Kent’s reply got off to a dreadful start when Darlington was run out by Trussler for one after setting off too slowly for a single that should have been there.
Tilly Callaghan was bowled by Lauren Turner for a duck to leave Kent 3-2 in the third over.
Barnfather hit successive boundaries in a bid to get the Kent innings moving as they ended the powerplay on 31-2.
The first six of the day came at the end of the ninth over with Barnfather launching Patel over deep mid-wicket. She then drove Rachana Cambampaty for four in the next over with Kent reaching 63-2 at the halfway stage of their reply.
But their progress was checked in the next over, Barnfather sweeping Horley to Georgia Irving at deep square leg for 35.
Opener Grace Poole picked out Hannah Davis at long-on off Patel having made 39 off 42 balls to leave Kent 84-4 in the 13th over.
Turner produced a good running catch to remove Coco Streets – who hit one straight six earlier in the over – for 19 off the spin of Davis.
Emily Thompson was caught and bowled by Cambampaty without scoring to leave Kent 107-6 in the 17th over.
Horley bowled Kirby for nine to pick up her second wicket and Middlesex duly wrapped up a bonus point win as Bilal was stumped by Sproul in the last over, the hosts closing on 122-8 after 20 overs.
