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Kent run riot over the Eagles

Darren Stevens took four wickets as Kent overcame Essex by 42 runs in their Twenty20 Cup clash at Chelmsford.

Although defending a modest 141 for seven, the visitors needed only 14.5 overs to shoot out their rivals for 99.

But it was with the ball and in the field that Stevens - whose reputation has been built around his ability with the bat - made the impact that was to earn his side a season's double against the Eagles.

Stevens cleverly varied his medium-paced deliveries to return career-best figures of four for 14 from only three overs after being introduced into the attack for the 10th over.

In that spell he got rid of the dangerous Jamie Foster, who had made 24 from 90 balls, Adam Hollioake, James Middlebrook and Graham Napier.

But it was just before he was tossed the ball that he dealt the real killer-blow.

Ravi Bopara was looking in great touch as he helped himself to five fours in moving to 27 from 14 balls.

But he tried to scamper a single from the next as he played the ball into the covers and Stevens swooped to throw down the stumps to set Essex on the slippery slope.

Ryan ten Doeschate was run out soon afterwards attempting a ridiculous third run, and that dismissal opened the door for Stevens to send the home side slumping to defeat.

Earlier Kent had begun their innings encouragingly by scoring at eight an over during the opening five overs, but later they were pegged back by some accurate bowling.

When the seventh wicket went down in the 18th over, Kent only had 107 on the board but a late flourish by Neil Dexter was to prove crucial.

The 22-year-old batted with aggressive authority to gather five boundaries while making 31 from 18 balls, an effort that was to prove decisive. Of his team-mates, only Joe Denly and Matt Walker topped 20.

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