RESULT
South Group (N), Canterbury, May 27, 2022, Vitality Blast
184/4
(19.4/20 ov, T:185) 188/6

Essex won by 4 wickets (with 2 balls remaining)

Report

Paul Walter seals Battle of the Bridge as Kent fall to Essex

Billings and Crawley efforts undone in chase that comes down to final over

ECB Reporters Network
27-May-2022
Paul Walter saw Essex home in their chase  •  Getty Images

Paul Walter saw Essex home in their chase  •  Getty Images

Essex 188 for 6 (Walter 47*) beat Kent 184 for 4 (Billings 48*, Crawley 40) by four wickets
Essex Eagles beat Kent Spitfires by four wickets in a tense Vitality Blast derby at Canterbury.
Paul Walter top-scored with an unbeaten 47 as the visitors closed on 188 for six in reply to Kent's 184 for four, hitting the winning runs with two balls remaining.
Will Buttleman was the Eagles' next highest scorer with 37, while Fred Klaassen took two for 35 and was the only bowler to take more than one wicket in the match.
Sam Billings was Kent's top scorer with 48 not out, while Zak Crawley made 40. Matt Critchley had Essex's best bowling figures with one for 16.
Kent won the toss in what was billed as "The Battle of The Bridge" and chose to bat, making one change from the side which lost to Somerset on Wednesday night, Matt Quinn coming in place of Grant Stewart.
Zak Crawley was on just two when he was dropped by Critchley at the start of the second over and Kent raced to 60 without loss at the end of the powerplay.
Daniel Bell-Drummond produced a succession of elegant cuts but he was bowled by Aron Nijjar for 31 and when Crawley was then lbw to Simon Harmer for 40 the scoring rate slowed.
Joe Denly was the third top order batter to get out after making a start, when he swiped Daniel Sams for six but he hit the next delivery almost vertically and was caught and bowled for 35.
Jack Leaning made just two when he hit Harmer to Critchley, but the 17th over, bowled by Harman, went for 19 and some violent hitting by George Linde saw him finish on 23 not out from 11 balls.
It looked a competitive total, but Essex took 17 from Denly's opening over and Adam Rossington blasted 29 from 16 balls, until Klaassen made a mess of his stumps.
The visitors were 66 for one at the end of the powerplay, but lost Michael Pepper for six when he spooned Linde to Klaassen at point.
Buttleman then pulled Qais Ahmad to Crawley and Matt Milnes ripped out Critchley's middle stump after a quickfire 18.
Sams was reprieved after an excruciating drop by Quinn when he was on one, but he added just two more to his score when he floated Klaassen to Leaning and the run rate climbed above ten for the first time.
With the noose tightening, Essex took 17 from the 16th over and 13 from the 17th, tilting the equation back in their favour.
Tom Westley was brilliantly run out for 15 by Billings at the start of the 18th, the skipper throwing down the stumps as he chased a single, but Harmer then struck successive fours off Quinn to leave the Eagles needing six from the final over.
Harmer, who finished on 21 not out from 11 balls, took five from the first three balls, leaving Walter to smear Milnes for four to clinch the win.

Win Probability
KENT 
KENTESSEX
100%50%100%KENT InningsESSEX Innings
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Vitality Blast

North Group
TEAMMWLPTNRR
BEARS1495181.210
LANCS1484180.432
DERBS1495180.054
YORKS1476150.726
NOTTS1476150.058
LEICS1486140.058
NHNTS146614-0.040
DURH143107-0.642
WORCS142115-1.807
South Group
TEAMMWLPTNRR
SURR14103210.630
SOM14104200.630
ESSEX1494190.881
HANTS1495180.198
GLOUC1466140.022
GLAM145712-0.154
SUSS144108-0.391
MIDDX144108-0.981
KENT143116-0.670