Klinger and Cockbain help Glos cruise to nine wicket T20 Blast win over Kent - with video
5 June 2015
Gloucestershire cruised to a nine wicket win over Kent in the NatWest T20 Blast after chasing down their target of 156 with more than two overs to spare.
Fresh from his record 126 not out against Essex last time out, captain Michael Klinger again led from the front with an unbeaten 69 in just 51 balls.
Together with Ian Cockbain (54 not out) the pair put on 105 to see their side to their third win in four T20 Blast macthes without either player having to take risks.
The victory may have looked a long way off earlier in the day when, having won the toss, Kent - who started the day top of the South Group - raced to 52-0 in five overs. To make matters worse nine out of 10 of their last T20 matches have been won by the side batting first.
After a tight start that saw the Kent innings came to life in the third over when Daniel Bell-Drummond hit James Fuller for a pulled six over mid off for the first boundary of the day.
This proved to be the catalyst for the home side as England hopeful Sam Billings followed up with a four and a six to the mid-wicket boundary off the last two balls of the same over.
Three more maximums in the next two overs – two for Billings one for Bell-Drummond – saw the home side race to 52-0.
But once again the introduction of Tom Smith helped turn the game in Glos’ favour as the spinner had Billings stumped by former Kent hero Geraint Jones in the sixth over for 26.
With Benny Howell (pictured) and Jack Taylor (0-29) also keeping it tight Kent’s run rate slowed. Bell Drummond (31) tried to take the initiative but was caught by Cockbain on the long off boundary off the first ball of Howell’s second over to make it 65-2.
To watch an interview with Benny Howell click below
Kent were more successful at upping the ante in the next over as Northeast and Stevens traded sixes off Taylor to take the score to 81-2.
But when both batsmen fell in the next over to Howell (3-18), Kent appeared to be in trouble at 84-4.
Fabian Cowdrey (23) and Alex Blake (22) rebuilt with a partnership of 48. But once again, as Kent looked to launch their attack they lost wickets. The returning Smith (2-22) removed Cowdrey – caught by Fuller at long off - having been dropped by the fast bowler two overs earlier.
Blake fell to Fuller in the next over and despite a couple of late blows from Matt Coles, Kent finished on 156-6.
The Spitfires had plundered more than 400 runs in their last two T20 matches and showed flashes of their destructive best. But were left ruing the fact that no one was able to go on after six of the top seven got starts.
In reply Glos got off to a flyer reaching 52-0 before Marshall was trapped LBW by Mitch Claydon for 19 off the last ball of the fifth over.
But the wicket did little to slow Gloucestershire’s momentum as Ian Cockbain looked immediately at home. His second scoring shot was a six over midwicket off Haggett and from then on he never looked back- eventually making 54 from 38 balls.
On a pitch where Kent had lost wickets every time they tried to go up the gears, Glos never needed to as they cruised to their target with 16 balls to spare - Cockbain sealing the win with a cut for four.
Glos take on Essex Eagles at Chelmsford on Thursday before facing Glamorgan at Bristol on Friday night.
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