Cautious Kemp steers Kent home

Justin Kemp reined in his attacking instincts to ensure Kent completed a tense victory over Warwickshire at Canterbury

Big-hitting South Africa all-rounder Justin Kemp kept his expansive shots under wraps to guide a nervy Kent to a four-wicket win over Warwickshire in a low-scoring Friends Provident Trophy Group B match at Canterbury.

Having restricted the Bears to a modest 218 all out on a decent St Lawrence pitch, the Spitfires eventually made it five straight victories in all competitions and three in succession in the trophy - but not before a few scares.

Rob Key and Joe Denly gave Kent a flying start to their pursuit until Key edged behind for 20.

It sparked a mini-slump which saw Denly, who made 49, hole out at cover off Ant Botha, Martin van Jaarsveld drive a return catch back to the same bowler and James Hockley play on attempting to cut Jeetan Patel.

At 125 for four, the game might easily have slipped from Kent’s grasp but Geraint Jones hit 35 and Kemp remained cool in a stand of 62 in 11 overs which ended when Jones edged behind chasing Neil Carter.

James Tredwell’s three-ball duck had home supporters fearing the worse but Kemp, renowned for his six-hitting, sensibly kept the ball on the ground to steer six fours in his 52-ball unbeaten 45.

A fiery new-ball burst from South Africa left-arm seamer Wayne Parnell had Warwickshire partially on the rocks within half an hour of the start after the teenager accounted for Carter and Ian Bell in successive overs.

Jim Troughton made a brisk 62 but his exit prompted a Warwickshire collapse

Left-handed Carter chopped on as he tried to take liberties with a short delivery, but it was the scalp of Bell, for a duck, which clearly meant most to man-of-the-match Parnell.

Bowling round the wicket and down the Nackington Road Slope, Parnell slipped a quick, full-length ball through Bell’s back-foot defensive shot to peg back off and middle stumps and make it 22 for two. The bowler dropped to his knees and punched the air in celebration.

The Bears counter-punched with distinction through third-wicket partners Jonathan Trott and Jim Troughton, the latter of whom elected to attack in-form off-spinner Tredwell to good effect.

Troughton clattered three sixes, all off Tredwell, and five fours in racing to a 40-ball half-century, and, though Trott needed twice as many deliveries to reach the milestone, neither man looked troubled as they added 108 in 18 overs.

Woeful shot selection cost the visitors dearly thereafter as they conspired to lose their last eight wickets for 88 runs.

Troughton, who top-scored with 62, was beaten in the flight by left-arm spinner Rob Ferley and holed out to long-off.

Trott, having made 53, then tamely top-edged a paddle sweep to short fine-leg and the rest followed swiftly to leave Kent a relatively comfortable target.