Kent’s final chance of silverware this summer is over after they were knocked out of the Vitality Blast on Saturday.
Spitfires were unable to defend their below-par score of 153 all out at Old Trafford as England’s Liam Livingstone made a brilliant 85 not out off 47 balls to guide the hosts through to finals day next weekend.
Kent captain Sam Billings said: “Liam’s an international quality player, and he’s done it for a very long time. That was the difference today.
“We had a lot of guys get starts, and we kept on losing wickets through the middle. I thought, actually, had we got up to 165, that would have been a really tricky chase. Fair play, that was a hell of a knock (Livingstone).
“We kept on going (hard with the bat). As soon as two international spinners come on, you probably have to suck it up there. Myself and Joey Evison got out in quick succession. Had we created a partnership, we could have easily got to 170 after the start we got.
“At one point, I felt that we needed to get him out (Livingstone). We took a couple of risks which didn’t quite come off. Off Matt Parkinson, a couple of them went just over the boundary, and another day they’re out.
“We had to try and kill the game and get him out. That’s why I had to try and get Fred Klaassen back in the game. He did brilliantly, he bowled beautifully. It was one of those days of fine margins.
“We started off brilliantly with the ball, but it wasn’t to be.”
Billings opted to bat first but Kent lost Tawanda Muyeye, caught at mid-off, to the first ball of the match as Luke Wood struck on his way to figures of 3-29.
Kent then scored runs at a decent rate but lost wickets at key moments. Daniel Bell-Drummond (19) miscued James Anderson to backward point, Zak Crawley (27) was caught behind having gloved a pull at Jack Blatherwick and Livingstone’s first ball ousted a sweeping Sam Billings (2) caught at deep square-leg, leaving the score at 71-4 at the start of the ninth over.
Joe Denly had started nicely, including lofting Blatherwick’s first ball for six over long-off. But he also fell – on 28 – to strengthen Lancashire’s grip at 81-5 after 10 overs, miscuing a similar shot to long-off against Tom Hartley’s left-arm spin.
Joey Evison muscled two sixes but fell for 27 to a smart boundary catch at long-off from Wood off Livingstone with the score on 115 in the 15th.
Grant Stewart also hit two sixes in a brisk 25 before playing on to Tom Aspinwall and Wood struck twice in the last over as Spitfires ended up 153 all out.
Kent’s hopes, however, were raised as they reduced the Lightning to 5-2 inside two overs of the chase as Stewart’s seam had Phil Salt caught at deep backward square-leg and Fred Klaassen forced Luke Wells to play on off his thigh pad. Klaassen was superb with figures of 3-14 from four overs.
Livingstone, on 15, top-edged a pull at Nathan Gilchrist into the back of his neck shortly afterwards and underwent a concussion check but carried on.
He lost captain Keaton Jennings caught on the scoop against the pace of Klaassen – 31-3 in the fifth over – before taking the sting out of the situation in dynamic fashion.
Livingstone took on the leg-spin of former county colleague Matthew Parkinson, three times smashing him over long-on for six in the ninth over as he reached his first fifty of this season’s Blast off 25 balls and took the score to 84-3.
Experienced Australian Ashton Turner holed out off Evison almost immediately but Kent desperately needed Livingstone’s wicket. And it didn’t arrive.
Even Parkinson getting Michael Jones for 28 off 16 balls and Hartley in the 14th over – 118-6 – wasn’t enough as Livingstone continued to score runs freely to guide his team home.
Report from ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
