Match report provided by the ECB Reporters Network.
Joe Cracknell hit 88 as Middlesex coasted to a five-wicket win over the Kent Spitfires in the Metro Bank Cup at Beckenham.
Cracknell blitzed the Spitfires with an 82-ball innings included two sixes and ten fours and Robbie White chipped in with 50 as the visitors eased home with 8.4 overs to spare, finishing on 206 for five.
Earlier Kent were bowled out for 204 in 44.4 overs, with Josh de Caires, Henry Brookes and Nathan Fernandes all taking two wickets.
Marcus O’Riordan was Kent’s top scorer with 58, but when he was gone they struggled to put any meaningful partnerships together until Hamid Qadri and Matt Parkinson nudged them over the 200 mark.
Kent chose to bat but lost Beyers Swanepoel in the second over, caught behind off Ishaan Kaushal for just two.
Although O’Riordan clouted 20 off the fourth over from Kaushal he was the only Kent batter to score freely.
De Caires had Joey Evison lbw for 14 with his second delivery and O’Riordan went in the next over, trapped in front by Luke Hollman trying to reverse sweep.
Jaydn Denly tried to slog sweep De Caires and was caught by Cracknell for 10 and Ethan Bamber had Harry Finch lbw for 23.
Charlie Stobo had made just two when he tried to charge Fernandes and was stumped by Jack Davies and Fernandes then got Jack Leaning for 28 after a sharp diving catch by Sam Robson. Kent’s last realistic hope of a par score went when Grant Stewart edged Henry Brookes behind for 11.
Brookes’ next delivery hit Parkinson on the helmet, but after a six-minute delay he was ruled fit to continue. His stand of 40 with Qadri at least gave Kent something to defend, but when the latter went for 25, caught by Fernandes off Brookes, there were still 5.5 overs remaining and as Nathan Gilchrist was run out by a direct hit from de Caires three balls later, Parkinson was stranded on 17 not out.
Aside from an early blip when Stewart took two quick wickets, the chase was devoid of any serious drama.
Middlesex’s openers had raced to 25 without loss in the third over when Stewart had Fernandes caught by Stobo at first slip for eight.
In Stewart’s next over Stobo took another slip catch to remove Sam Robson for three but Cracknell responded with an innings of control and aggression that took the game away from the home side. He looked set for a century, only to fall 12 short when he lofted Parkinson to Swanepoel at long off, but by then Middlesex only needed another 71 for victory.
Jack Davies didn’t hang around, cracking 35 before he cut Jaydn Denly to O’Riordan and although Parkinson had White caught behind, a convincing win was sealed when Mark Stoneman drove Parkinson for four in the 32nd over.
Kent Spitfires
Middlesex
