Sussex 148 (19.5 overs)
Kent Spitfires 151-8 (19.3 overs)
Kent Spitfires win by two wickets
Joey Evison was Kent’s hero with a thumping 48 off 24 balls as the Spitfires kept their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages of the Vitality Blast alive.
They beat Sussex Sharks by two wickets with three balls to spare in a low-scoring thriller at Hove.
Chasing 149, Kent were struggling on 112-8 after Tymal Mills picked up two wickets in three balls in the 16th over.
But Evison, who had already hit James Coles’s left-arm spin for successive sixes, helped Fred Klaassen take 17 off the 17th over from Ollie Robinson including another six before clearing the rope with a straight hit off Tymal Mills in the 18th.
That left Kent needing 12 from the last two overs and five off the final over and it was fitting that Evison hit the winning runs when he drove Danny Lamb to the extra cover boundary.
The hosts could have gone second but instead a second successive defeat at the 1st Central County Ground has left them with work to do to finish in the top four. Kent and Hampshire Hawks have joined them on 22 points in a congested top half of the table.
Kent did well to bowl Sussex out for 148 off the penultimate ball on a sluggish pitch which the Sharks’ batters struggled to master.
Nathan Gilchrist led the way with a career-best 4 for 42 including two wickets off successive balls in the 10th over from which Sussex never recovered despite a cameo of 27 from 14 balls at the end by Robinson.
Gilchrist had already picked up Daniel Hughes (14) to a catch at deep mid-wicket in his first over, one of two wickets to fall in a powerplay which ended with Sussex 38-2.
James Coles and Tom Clark led a recovery with 49 from 28 balls before Gilchrist struck his double blow.
Coles lost his leg stump going too far across and Tom Alsop got a leading edge to cover first ball. Gilchrist nearly had a hat-trick but could only get fingertips to John Simpson’s straight drive.
Kent turned the screw with only 17 runs coming in the next five overs, a fine effort by their attack considering opening bowler Tom Rogers could only bowl two overs before going off with a shoulder injury.
From 109-5 Sussex lost their last five wickets in 25 balls and were indebted to Robinson’s unorthodox but highly effective hitting at the end.
It included three boundaries in Gilchrist’s final over which at least give him and the rest of the Sussex attack something to defend.
Kent lost three wickets in the power play and Robinson looked as if he had put Sussex in control, though not for once with the ball.
He ran out Joe Denly with a direct hit on the run and Bell-Drummond, who was beaten by his accurate throw from the deep coming back for a risky second, after making 47 off 36 balls.
Bell-Drummond’s departure left Kent 88-6 in the 14th over – and when Mills plucked out Jack Leaning’s middle stump with a yorker and bowled Tom Rogers his side were in control. But Evison had other ideas.
Sussex skipper Tymal Mills said: “Joey Evison’s innings was key to the game. He absorbed pressure and got boundaries when he needed to. His wicket was the one we wanted and, fair play to him, it was a really impressive knock.
“We were 15 runs short at least, if not more. We knew we had the bowlers to defend that score but that it would take a big effort for the whole 20 overs to take it as deep as possible.
“We fought really hard with the ball but we weren’t quite good enough. I felt we didn’t have the right intent with the bat, especially pushing ones into twos. That can add another ten runs to your score.
“We probably need three wins out of the last four (to qualify) and we need to get winning again, and soon.”
Joey Evison said: “It was a really tight game. They did well to peg us back by constantly taking wickets but chasing 149 only takes a couple of overs of 15 to 20 runs.
“I knew I had to be there at the end and it was really pleasing to help get the boys over the line. I was just trying to play it over by over and try to hit boundaries and go for it straight away.
“Fred Klaassen did an awesome job and we played well together. I will learn a lot from an innings like that.
“It will give me a lot of clarity for the future and for it to be a career-best as well means a hell of a lot.
“We need to keep on winning – and three wins in the last three games would be lovely.”
