Notts never recover from loss of early wickets

Kent Spitfires moved into outright second spot and level on points with Division One leaders Leicestershire following an emphatic 60-run win over Nottinghamshire following a cold and rain-affected match in Maidstone.

Early afternoon showers disrupted the Kent innings after just five overs and after three abortive re-starts the game resumed as a 30-overs-a-side clash and with Spitfires in need of urgent run-rate acceleration.

Andrew Harris sent back David Fulton and Ed Smith as both attempted to force the pace on a seaming pitch, but that bought together James Hockley and Matthew Walker for a third-wicket stand of 64.

Walker was the senior partner scoring 34 at almost a run-a-ball before he perished to a catch at the wicket when attempting to run down to third-man.

Paul Nixon came in to light the blue touch paper under the Spitfires' innings by scoring 29 in 16 balls including 24 in one over from spinner Richard Stemp, a cameo that gave Hockley the impetus to go on.

The 22-year-old bat went on to take boundaries from the last three deliveries of the innings from Harris and reach a career-best unbeaten 70 and help his side to 188 for six.

Nottinghamshire's chances of winning were made even tougher under the Duckworth/Lewis re-calculation that set them a target of 194 from 30 overs.

Their chances were effectively over by the eighth over, by which time Greg Blewett, Paul Johnson, Usman Afzaal and Chris Read were all back in the pavilion with only 36 on the board.

Visiting skipper Darren Bicknell tried to hold the innings together with 59, but once he went after a mis-cue to cover Nottinghamshire's victory chances went with him.