Mark Pennell of the Kent Messenger Group
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Norwich Union League: Kent v Surrey at Canterbury, 14 Aug 2001 Mark Pennell of the Kent Messenger Group |
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Kent innings:
Surrey innings: |
Chasing Kent's disappointing 42-over total of 207 all out, the basement Lions appeared to be coasting at 147 for three, but Kent's fielding and Fleming's incredibly accurate throwing turned the game on its head as Surrey conceded four run outs to the home skipper.
Top-scorer Ian Ward, with 51 from 90 balls, started the rot when he chanced a single to backward point only to see Fleming throw down the stumps to spark a suicidal collapse that saw Surrey lose their last seven wickets for 17 runs in the space of 39 balls.
Ben Hollioake suffered a seemingly ageless death when he was given out stumped after the fourth slow motion replay, then in the next over Nadeem Shahid edged a catch to Paul Nixon to lift a crowd of 7,500 - Kent's biggest crowd for a county match since 1993.
That was the cue for Fleming's license to thrill as the Spitfires' skipper sent back Jonathan Batty, Saqlain Mushtaq and Martin Bicknell with three direct hits in the space of four balls.
It was left to Martin McCague, making his first league appearance of the summer, to polish the job off by plucking out the middle stump of Ed Giddins to re-ignite Kent's title hopes.
Spitfires had built their total around another steady one-day knock of 74 from 68-balls from overseas star Andrew Symonds.
The Queenslander featured in a fourth-wicket stand of 93 with Rob Key (26), but otherwise no Kent batsman made it into the 20s in a disappointing display after winning the toss.
The victory, Kent's seventh in 11 starts, leaves the Hop county in second spot, two points behind leaders Leicestershire who have two games in hand.
The second-placed hosts got off to a shaky start losing three wickets inside seven overs as Matthew Fleming, James Hockley and in-form David Fulton all trudged back to the pavilion after falling to the accurate opening burst of Martin Bicknell.
Kent re-built through a fourth wicket stand worth 93 between Matthew Walker and top-scorer Andrew Symonds, the only Kent player to pass 50 on an excellent pitch.
Ben Hollioake broke the stand by having Walker (15) caught at long off, but then off-spinner Gareth Batty bagged the prized scalp of Australian Symonds after the Queenslander struck 74 from 68-balls including six fours.
The Kent innings fell away thereafter as Batty claimed four for 36 and Bicknell three for 35 to skittle the hosts with three overs remaining.
© CricInfo
Date-stamped : 14 Aug2001 - 22:26