Kent Spitfires captain Sam Billings made a sparkling start to this summer’s T20 Blast at Lord’s on Friday.
Spitfires got off to a successful start against Middlesex, winning by 27 runs, although the outcome was in doubt until the closing stages.
Billings struggled for runs in last season’s Blast but, batting at four, he wasted no time getting started this year.
He finished unbeaten on 84 off just 37 balls – with nine fours and five sixes – as Kent posted 208-6 in 20 overs after opting to bat first.
It was Billings’ first T20 Blast half-century since June 2024 when he made 51 against Sussex.
Jake Lintott made his debut while Matt Parkinson, Bertie Foreman and Harry Finch were left out of the 14-man squad.
Tawanda Mueye had a couple of sighters before putting Eathan Bosch’s third delivery into the Grand Stand for a six.
Opening partner Daniel Bell-Drummond followed suit with a maximum to the short leg-side boundary in the third over, Bosch’s first two overs costing 24.
Bell-Drummond (26) lifted a short ball from Tom Helm over the head of wicketkeeper Adam Rossington for a boundary at the start of the fourth over but soon departed, heaving the ball high into the off side for Zafar Gohar to take a catch.
Muyeye nearly followed suit but Noah Cornwell was unable to take a steepling catch at short fine leg from the final ball of the over.
Zak Crawley arrived at three and some lovely timing from Muyeye – which included a drive for six to the short side – helped the Spitfires to 70-1 at the end of the powerplay.
They progressed the score to 91 at the start of the ninth over when Muyeye edged behind the spin of Luke Hollman to depart for 38 off 25.
Billings joined Crawley and the Spitfires were well placed to push on after reaching 96-2 at the halfway stage of their innings.
After a couple of quiet overs, Billings sent successive reverse sweeps into the Grant Stand for six as 20 were taken off one Zafar Gohar over.
Crawley then hit Hollman (1-30) over long-on for a maximum, following it up with a punch down the ground for four from the next delivery.
Middlesex turned to pace and Cornwell’s return saw Crawley hole out to deep square leg for 36 off 26 balls, leaving Spitfires 133-3 in the 14th over.
Two balls later, Joe Denly’s first knock of the summer came to an end without score as he miscued to a tumbling mid-on as Cornwell bowled a double-wicket maiden.
Chris Benjamin followed suit, departing for a four-ball duck, as he picked out Ryan Higgins at long-off to give Zafar Gohar (1-49) his only wicket, and Spitfires still had work to do at 150-5 after 15 overs.
Billings’ half-century came off just 25 balls, a typical improvised shot as he helped a short ball over the wicketkeeper to the boundary.
The Spitfires’ skipper was in full flow, hitting Higgins for three successive boundaries in the penultimate over before ending the over with another maximum to the short side.
Billings immediately signalled for the left-handed Tom Rogers to replace Joey Evison in the middle for the final over, the latter retiring with five off 12 balls to his name.
Another Billings lift above the wicketkeeper saw the Spitfires go beyond the 200-mark in the final over, which yielded 14 runs, including a boundary off the last ball by Rogers.
Like those in Middlesex pink before him, Kent’s Fred Klaassen was exposed to the short leg side boundary in his first over, with Rossington hitting the ropes three times.
After scoring 33 in the first three overs, Billings turned to the leg spin of Denly, but Rossington and Max Holden took 11 off the over to maintain their momentum. Rossington hit Klaassen (0-37) for six to bring up the Middlesex fifty in the fifth over.
Matt Milnes eventually made the breakthrough when Holden (20) hooked high to Rogers, who made good ground at short fine leg to take the catch, and Middlesex ended the powerplay on 65-1.
An excellent catch from Muyeye, rushing in from the cover boundary, saw Leus du Plooy fall for 19, but Middlesex were still well placed at 89-2 from eight overs.
Rossington reached his half-century from 24 balls with three sixes, and Middlesex had progressed relatively untroubled to 105-2 at the halfway stage.
Lintott was struck on his bowling hand as he did well to stop a fierce Rossington drive, the on-loan Warwickshire man continuing with his over after receiving treatment.
He took his first Spitfires wicket in his final over, Caleb Falconer caught behind off an attempted reverse sweep for 12 to leave the hosts 125-3 in the 13th over.
Two balls later, Higgins became Lintott’s second victim, caught by Benjamin for a duck. Lintott had gone for 18 from his first two overs but dragged it back to finish with 2-25.
Middlesex still needed 73 from the last five overs and their hopes seemed to fade when Rossington pulled Rogers to Klaassen at fine leg to depart for an excellent 79 off 43 balls, leaving Middlesex 141-5 in the 16th.
Rogers struck again with the final ball of his over, Hollman holing out to Crawley at mid-off without adding to the score.
Eathan Bosch (12) hit Milnes for six but he went to the catch of the night from Muyeye, giving Rogers his fourth wicket as Middlesex were 158-7 in the 18th. Rogers, who took 12 wickets in 10 innings in last summer’s Blast, ended with figures of 4-39.
Zafar Gohar gave Milnes his second wicket, picking out Lintott at long-on in the final over, as Middlesex’s reply ended on 181-8.
