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Spitfires flying high

Some excellent bowling saw Kent Spitfires leapfrog Middlesex Crusaders in the Twenty20 Cup South Division.

Middlesex were toppled for 120 in the second innings at Beckenham 120 to lose by 26 runs.

Chasing 147, the Crusaders lost three early wickets with Andrew Strauss snapped up at second slip off Morne Morkel (three for 24) in the first over and in his next over he dismissed Ed Smith for five playing on.

Simon Cook replaced Morkel for the fifth over and he had Jamie Dalrymple (seven) caught behind as he top-edged his cut. It reduced the London side to 25 for three.

With some powerful shots Eoin Morgan picked up 34 from 27 balls, including three sixes.

Morkel then returned for a second spell and had the Ireland batsman caught at slip.

There was little else left in the Crusaders' batting apart from a late flourish by Chad Keegan which brought him 24 from 15 balls.

Earlier, a second-wicket stand of 56 between Joe Denly and Martin van Jaarsveld had taken Kent to 85 when Denly's firm hit was held at wide mid-wicket.

Denly's 40 runs from only 23 balls contained three sixes. He lifted Keegan for the first one over mid-wicket and when the bowler changed ends he was dispatched again, this time over long-on. In between those, Denly and Van Jaarsveld each hit sixes off Dalrymple's first over, which cost 15 runs.

His second spell was more effective. He drew van Jaarsveld (36 from 29 balls) out of his crease to be smartly stumped in the 14th over, while at the other end, Murali Kartik claimed Darren Stevens' wicket, having him held at deep mid-wicket for six to leave the the Spitfires on 99 for four.

An unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 47 between Geraint Jones and Ryan McLaren saw their side finish on 146 for four having been put in to bat under cloudy skies.

During their hard-hitting stand, McLaren lifted Tyrone Henderson for six over mid-wicket in the penultimate over and Jones sent Tim Murtagh's first ball of the last over sailing high over mid-wicket. They had taken 33 off the last three overs with McLaren on 25 from 21 balls and Jones had 24 from 16.

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