Kent won a thrilling Vitality Blast Women League 2 clash off the final ball to defeat Northamptonshire Steelbacks by four wickets on Sunday.
Zeena Bilal hit the final ball for four as Kent Women overtook their visitors in the table after a low-scoring victory at the St Lawrence ground.
The Steelbacks opted to bat first but lost skipper Gemma Marriott for one at the end of the first over. They limped to 10-3 in the fifth over after Amelia Kemp was bowled to give Sydney Gorham (2-20) her second wicket, stepping back to create space, and then Ava Clive was bowled by Hollie Young (1-16) for a seven-ball duck after missing a sweep.
The final over of the powerplay went for 11, which meant Steelbacks reached 23-3 after six overs. They then lost three quick wickets as Mabel Reid (11) was bowled by Izzy James, and skipper Megan Belt caught and bowled Alicia Presland for six. It was 41-6 in the 10th over when a smart stumping by Maddie Blinkhorn-Jones removed May Drinkell for 19, after she’d hit James for four over mid-wicket off the previous ball.
James dropped a tough return catch off Chloe Hill from the first ball of her final over and needed treatment before being able to finish the over. It went for eight, which dented her figures to 2-20 in four overs.
Ilenia Sims hit back-to-back fours at the start of the 18th over to help push Steelbacks towards three figures. Hill and Sims put on 53 for the seventh wicket but the former was run out for 21 as she attempted a second run.
Sims did take the score beyond 100 but was out for 35 in the final over, which was bowled by Gorham. That left the Steelbacks 101-8 and it soon became 104 all out as Liz Russell was bowled for two and Anisha Patel was run out for one, again attempting to come back for a second run that wasn’t there as Amy Gordon’s throw from deep mid-wicket did the damage.
Kent’s reply reached 20 in the fifth over when Coco Streets shovelled Russell to Presland at mid-wicket for nine but the Horses reached 29-1 by the end of the powerplay with Gordon looking in fine touch.
Blinkhorn-Jones was given out leg before to the spin of Sims for seven, leaving Kent 43-2. They were 46-2 at the halfway stage but the spinners were starting to squeeze the game for the Steelbacks. Sims removed Gordon nicking behind for 30 off 40 balls to leave Kent 58-3 in the 13th over.
The Steelbacks missed a stumping in the economical Patel’s (0-11) final over when Kelly Castle came charging down the pitch on six but wicketkeeper Hill was unable to gather cleanly.
Elsa Barnfather announced her arrival by hitting Sims (2-26) for six in the 15th over, the first boundary for Kent since the powerplay. Sims’ final over went for 14 and the Horses needed 31 off the last five overs.
Phillips bowled the next over, conceding just one wide, and Kent needed 30 off 24.
Kelly Castle was bowled for 15 by Reid in the next over and the requirement was up to 27 off 18.
A clever lap sweep from Barnfather for four was followed by two in the covers. Successive singles followed before Barnfather sliced Russell to Sims and departed for 15 off nine balls, with Kent needing 19 off 13.
Young and Genevieve Jeer took 10 off the penultimate over, leaving Kent needing eight off the last.
After four singles, Jeer was bowled by Russell for five and Zeena Bilal needed to hit the final ball of the innings to the boundary. Bilal unexpectedly produced a reverse sweep and the ball rolled to the ropes for four.
