T20 Blast | Semi Final 2: Kent set up final date with Somerset courtesy Bell-Drummond and bowlers

Riding on a brilliant knock of 82 by Daniel Bell-Drummond and exceptional bowling efforts by Fred Klassen and Matt Milnes, Kent set up a final date with Somerset in the final of the Vitality T20 Blast. It was a brilliant all-round performance that ensured that Kent defeated Sussex quite convincingly in the end by 21 runs. 

In conditions suited for the batters, it was the Kent skipper Sam Billings who won the toss and opted to bat. Drummond started off with some delightful shots and shared a 24 runs stand with his opening partner Zak Crawley in less than 3 overs before the dismissal of Crawley. 

Denly who joined Drummond at the fall of Crawley’s wicket looked a bit out of place and was dismissed for 3 after struggling for 8 deliveries. The middle-order couldn’t quite get going but Drummond at the other end continued his good work and kept ticking the scoreboard along and found the boundaries in crucial junctures of the game. 

There was a mini-collapse in the 11th over which saw Kent losing 3 wickets in 5 deliveries for the addition of a solitary run. However, Drummond set his foot forward and settled his nerves as he saw wickets falling in a cluster at the other end. Yet again it was the 45-year-old Darren Stevens who showed his class even at such a ripe age. 

Along with Drummond, he shared a crucial 42 runs stand in quick time to get Kent back into the game and after Drummond was dismissed on 82, it was Drummond who took the onus on hismelf to take Kent to a competitive score. Stevens eventually remained unbeaten on 48 of 27 deliveries as Kent posted 168 in their allotted 20 overs. 

The run chase began well for Sussex with Philip Salt smashing a couple of crisp boundaries in the first over. However, it was Fred Klassen, the most successful of the Kent bowlers who got the wicket of Salt. The innings never really took off as wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals. 

Luke Wright, Ravi Bopara, Delray Rawlins and David Wiese couldn’t quite get going and was dismissed cheaply. Bopara was the top run-scorer from the four scoring a fluent 22 while Harrison Ward chipped in with 21. With the score reading 57/5 and then 89/6, it was all down to George Garton to see his team through. 

He took on the Kent bowlers and struck 4 fours and 3 sixes during his exceptional knock of 41 of just 23 deliveries. Until he was there, Sussex still had hope. His wicket at an untimely time proved to be the final nail in the coffin for them as they were eventually skittled out in the final over for 147 runs, handing Kent a comprehensive 21 runs victory. 

Brief Scores

Kent- 168/8 in 20 overs (Daniel Bell-Drummond 82, Daren Stevens 47, Tymal Mills 3/33)

Sussex 147 all-out in 19.1 overs (George Garton 41, Fred Klassen 4/17, Matt Milnes 3/22) 

Kent won by 21 runs