Kent’s Dominant Victory Over Middlesex: Joe Denly and Matt Parkinson Shine in Vitality Blast 2024

Middlesex 107 (Parkinson 4-25) lost against Kent 205 for 8 (Denly 56) by a margin of 98 runs.

After relocating from Lancashire throughout the winter, Parkinson excelled for his newly adopted county, taking four wickets for 25 with the scalps of Henry Brookes, Tom Helm, and Jack Davies in his third over.

As a result, the hosts, who were playing their first of two home games in Chelmsford this season, were easily defeated for 107 and fell well short of their goal of 206 runs.

Earlier, Joe Denly, who hit 56 in 33 balls with two sixes and seven fours, was the cornerstone of Kent’s 205 for 8. With 38, Daniel Bell-Drummond, another man who was once the bane of Middlesex, offered solid assistance. In his first game of the season, Blake Cullen went 3 for 47 while Luke Hollman came back with 3 for 27.

Bell-Drummond and England’s first batsman Zak Crawley got off to a fast start, hitting Cullen for massive sixes in the third over as they amassed a fifty-run partnership in just twenty-three balls.

Leus Du Plooy’s spectacular catch running back at mid-wicket ended Crawley’s innings on 26, but Bell-Drummond carried on the attack, hitting Henry Brookes back over his head for six before Joe Cracknell dropped him in the deep.

Fortunately, Tom Helm’s following over, diving full length at deep mid-on, was a ‘worldy’ that sent Bell-Drummond sailing at 38. After Sam Billing went out for the first ball with a duck, it was the first of two in two balls for the brilliant Hollman. After Tawanda Muyeye hit him squarely to Cracknell, Hollman would steal a third to make it Kent 79 for 3.

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Though he was in no mood for a collapse, Denly played a solid innings, hitting the ball straight and powerfully, and making good use of the scoop in a well-paced effort. Despite being one of Cullen’s three last-minute wickets, the 205 target still appeared overwhelming.

Du Plooy was promoted by Middlesex to open, but the move backfired when Grant Stewart bowled him for 11 runs.

After hitting a massive six and misfiring to mid-off, Ryan Higgins’ stay was nasty but short. Beyers Swanepoel was the bowler who profited, and captain Stephen Eskinazi also holed out on the fence to give Stewart a second wicket.

Now, all eyes were on Max Holden, who scored 121 in the same match the previous year. But there would be no repetition when, at mid-off, he sent a clean shot to Crawley on the boundary off Marcus O’Riordan’s spin, leaving the hosts at 49 for 4.

Parkinson bowled Cracknell, who was in an unusual position of No. 6, instead of at the top of the order. Davies experienced a brief period of success, but Parkinson’s party piece quickly brought the defeat to an end.