Blake blasts Kent to three wicket win in Cheltenham T20 clash
12 July 2015
Alex Blake all but ended Gloucestershire’s chances of reaching the NatWest T20 Blast quarter finals after smashing 59 off 24 balls to see Kent home to a three wicket win in front of a sell out crowd at the Cheltenham Festival.
Although finishing in the South Group’s top four is still mathematically possible, the home side’s seventh defeat of the season means it is now highly unlikely.
Chasing 167 to win Blake came in in the 13th over with the score at 92-5 and almost from the off he showed an ability to clear the boundary ropes that had been lacking in the final third of the Gloucestershire innings.
He put on 42 with Sam Northeast (49) but when his captain fell in 17th over he took over the lead role, singlehandedly taking 20 off the pivotal 18th over from Liam Norwell (0-45).
Glos could still have claimed an unlikely victory had they taken one of three run out chances in a brilliant penultimate over from Craig Miles (3-27) that went for just four runs to take the game to the wire.
But a scooped four and a six over square leg in the final over from James Fuller (1-28) meant the home side came out on the wrong end of another nail-biting finish.
To watch a post match interview with Craig Miles click below
Earlier having scored a slightly below par 166-7 Glos had pegged Kent back with regular wickets.
Miles had the in-form Daniel Bell-Drummond caught behind off the first ball of the fourth over to make it 33-1.
At the other end Joe Denly looked dangerous, hitting two fours and two sixes as he raced to 31 before being trapped LBW by Fuller with the score on 43.
England man Sam Billings (5) attempted a reverse sweep and was brilliantly caught one handed above his head by a diving Benny Howell at backward point from Tom Smith’s (1-25) first ball to make it 51-3.
The experienced Darren Stevens (10) added 25 with Northeast for the fourth wicket. But again it was Howell (2-30), this time with the ball that got the breakthrough as the allrounder flicked into the hands of Fuller at short fine leg.
In his next over – the 13th - Howell bowled Cowdrey for four to make it 92-5.
But this brought Blake to the crease and he struck the ball sweetly from the outset before seeing his side home in style.
At the start of the day Glos lost the toss and were dealt a blow in the second over when Hamish Marshall (11) was forced to retire hurt after pulling up when running a two.
New man Ian Cockbain (11) looked in good touch but hit a number of crunching drives straight at fielders.
He faced a bizarre no ball beamer from Mitch Claydon that was at least a foot over his head at the start of the fifth over and was out next ball, caught behind by Sam Billings.
New man Peter Handscomb, looked busy from the start and flicked James Tredwell for six into the square leg boundary boards to help Glos reach 55-1 after the power play.
At the other end Michael Klinger continued his regal run of form, making the tightest of quick singles look effortless and putting the bad ball away with clinical precision.
He showed his versatility when he slapped a waist high full toss off Haggett for six over square leg in the eleventh over and passed 50 for the seventh time this year in the following over (34 balls, five 4s, one 6).
In an innings that saw him move past 1000 domestic runs this season and 3000 career T20 runs, the T20 Blast topscorer again showed his full array of skills when he switch hit Fabian Cowdrey for four in the 14th.
But the spinner bounced back, bowling Handscomb for 28 (23 balls)as he attempted a sweep, ending a 79 run partnership with the score on 115-2.
He dismissed Klinger caught Callum Haggett at short third man for 75 (50 balls) in his next over to make it 139-3.
With their talisman gone Gloucestershire struggled to find the late acceleration they needed to post a big score against a disciplined Kent attack that bowled just one no ball and no wide.
Matt Coles (2-30), stuck twice in the 18th over and Claydon (3-27) also weighed in with two late wickets – including that of former team mate Geraint Jones (5) as Glos finished on 166-7.
Gloucestershire will be hoping to win their remaining two matches and hope other results go their way if they are to make the quarter finals.
They take on Hampshire at Cheltenham's College Ground on July 14.
