Cricket

KENT SPITFIRES SHOOT DOWN SURREY'S PROMOTION HOPES

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4 September 2008

Natwest Pro40 Division Two: Kent beat Surrey by 142 runs
LV Championship Division One: Surrey drew with Lancashire

Right: Opener James Benning was out cheaply as Surrey's top order collapsed against Kent

By Gavriel Hollander
gav@southwarknews.org  

ANY LINGERING hopes Surrey may have had of winning promotion from the Natwest Pro40 Division Two were dashed after a heavy defeat to Kent Spitfires at The Oval on Tuesday night.

Chasing a mammoth Kent total of 314, the Brown Caps' top order struggled to adjust to conditions as dusk descended and the temporary floodlights kicked in. By the time the experienced pair of Mark Ramprakash and Jonathan Batty came together Surrey were already 21 for four and with the required run rate pushing towards double figures.

Despite some gutsy resistance from Batty and Matthew Spriegel, who registered his first half century in limited overs cricket, it was always going to be too much and the Brown Caps were eventually dismissed for 172 in the 32nd over.
Earlier, the visitors got off to a quick start, with openers Joe Denly and Robert Key going along at over a run a ball. But after skipper Key was dismissed by Matthew Nicholson for 21 the trouble really started for Surrey.

The wicket brought Martin van Jaarsveld to the crease. The South African had already scored two centuries against Surrey this season, and once again he was to prove the scourge of the Brown Caps. Together with Denly, he put on 178 for the second wicket.

Both were denied their tons when they went within nine runs of each other, but some big hitting from Darren Stevens saw Kent sail beyond the 300 mark.

Of the Surrey attack, Alex Tudor suffered most at the hands of the Spitfires' onslaught, going for 44 runs in his four overs. Jade Dernbach took three wickets, but his eight overs still went for an expensive 60 runs.

The home side's response got off to the worst possible start as Kent seamers Robbie Joseph and Amjad Afzaal bowled aggressively with the white ball and claimed two wickets apiece. Scott Newman was clean bowled off the second ball of the innings and James Benning, Stewart Walters and Usman Afzaal all fell cheaply soon after.

Mark Ramprakash opened his shoulders for a few lusty blows, but when he was caught by van Jaarsveld off Ryan McLaren for 20 the game, and Surrey's one day season, was up.

Batty's 49 off 50 balls and Spriegel's quick-fire 54 gave the crowd, and the Sky Sports cameras, some late entertainment, but spinner James Tredwell mopped up the tail to give Kent an easy victory.

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EARLIER IN the week, Surrey's hopes of avoiding relegation from the LV County Championship Division One were dealt a blow when all four days of their game against Lancashire at Blackpool were washed out.

The four points awarded to both teams will have done nothing to help either side. Lancashire are chasing the title, while winless Surrey languish at the foot of the table, twenty points from safety with just three games to play.

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