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Michael Clarke is wary of New Zealand’s bowling attack and aggressive batsmen as he makes his first tour with his new Twenty20 side

Cricinfo staff24-Feb-2010Michael Clarke is wary of New Zealand’s bowling attack and aggressive batsmen as he makes his first tour with his new Twenty20 side. Clarke has won his three matches in charge since Ricky Ponting retired and the Australians signed off with an eight-wicket thrashing of West Indies in Sydney on Tuesday.Shane Bond, the fast bowler, wants to give Australia their biggest test of the summer and Clarke is expecting a tough assignment. “They’ve got a good attack,” Clarke said in Sydney before departing for New Zealand. “They’ve got some good strikers of the ball, Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum, and they’ve got a great captain, Dan Vettori, so we have to be at our best.”The World Twenty20 starts at the end of April and Australia have overhauled their team since they were knocked out at the first stage during the 2009 event in England. Clarke and Cameron White are in charge and Clarke is not getting carried away by the team’s strong start against Pakistan and West Indies.”I feel we’re a long way from where I’d like us to be, but I certainly believe we’re improving, we’ve got a good squad,” Clarke said. The series begins on Friday in Wellington and finishes in Christchurch on Sunday.”It’s really important that we look forward to our first tour as a T20 team and try and continue our success,” he said. “They are our last two games leading up to the World Cup, so I think it’s really important to continue to build that momentum going into the World Cup.”

Fakhar Zaman, who suffered a hamstring injury in the first week of August, has recovered and is part of the squad

Danyal Rasool17-Aug-2025Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan have not been selected in Pakistan’s T20I squad for the upcoming Asia Cup in the UAE. Fakhar Zaman, who suffered a hamstring injury in the first week of August, has recovered and is part of the side.Salman Agha will lead the 17-member squad, which will also participate in the tri-series against UAE and Afghanistan in the lead-up to the Asia Cup.Babar last played a T20I in December 2024. In PSL 2025, he scored 288 runs in ten innings for Peshawar Zalmi. It included knocks of 56*, 53* and 94 but his overall strike rate was 128.57. He was part of the recent ODI series against West Indies where he had scores of 47, 0 and 9.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Rizwan, like Babar, has not been part of Pakistan’s recent T20I squads for the home and subsequent away series against Bangladesh, followed by the T20Is in the West Indies. He made 53 in the opening game of the ODI series against West Indies, followed by scores of 16 and 0.Pakistan head coach Mike Hesson said Babar had been challenged with improving his T20 game. I think it’s really harsh to challenge a player on their form on three games,” he said at a press conference. “Babar played nicely in the first ODI but missed out on the next two. There’s no doubt Babar’s been asked to improve in some areas around taking on spin and in terms of his strike rate. Those are things he’s working really hard on.”But at the moment, the players we have have done exceptionally well. Sahibzada Farhan has played six games and won three Player of the Match awards. A player like Babar has an opportunity to play in the BBL and show he’s improving in those areas in T20s. He’s too good a player not to consider.”Shaheen Afridi, who had also found himself out of favour in T20 cricket of late, retained his place for the tri-series and the Asia Cup, though Naseem Shah missed out once again. Naseem is currently in action in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).Lahore Qalandars fast bowler Salman Mirza, who was Pakistan’s leading wicket-taker with eight against Bangladesh in the away T20I series, was included in the side. Ahmed Daniyal, who also impressed briefly, though was not part of the squad. Both specialist wristspinners – Abrar Ahmed and Sufiyan Muqeem, kept their place.The squad is something of an amalgamation of the sides that have played T20I cricket under Hesson in the three T20I series over the summer. The recent ODI series – which Pakistan lost 2-1 in the Caribbean – appears not to have influenced decision making either way. Hesson said he intended to stick to the aggressive top-heavy approach he has championed in the format, and repeated that Pakistan’s game was suited to such a style.”We were challenged with three different surfaces [in each of the three series]” Hesson said. “In Lahore, the surfaces were flat and the batting excelled. We went to Bangladesh where they were incredibly challenging and low-scoring games. Our top order sets the game up. All the games we won the top order performed really well. The third game in the West Indies, our openers put on 140 [138]. We need that at a run rate that gets us ahead of the game. T20 is all about setting the game up and being ahead of the game all the time in case you get yourself out. From a batting point of view we’ve got a line-up that can continue to do that.”The tri-series in the UAE between the hosts, Afghanistan and Pakistan will serve as a warm-up to the T20 Asia Cup, which will begin on September 9. Pakistan have never won the T20 version of that tournament; they reached the final when it was last played in 2022.

Pakistan squad for the UAE tri-series and Asia Cup

Salman Agha (capt), Abrar Ahmed, Faheem Ashraf, Fakhar Zaman, Haris Rauf, Hasan Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Hussain Talat, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Haris (wk), Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Wasim, Sahibzada Farhan, Saim Ayub, Salman Mirza, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Sufiyan Muqeem

Responding to Middlesex’s first-innings 203, the home side advanced to 271 for 6, a lead of 68

ECB Reporters Network27-Apr-2024Gloucestershire 271 for 6 (Hammond 81, van Buuren 75) lead Middlesex 203 by 68 runsMiles Hammond and Graeme van Buuren registered half-centuries as Gloucestershire assumed a position of strength on day two of the Vitality County Championship Second Division match against Middlesex at the Seat Unique Stadium in Bristol.Responding to the visitors’ first-innings 203, the home side advanced their score to 271 for 6, a first-innings lead of 68, on a day when 45 overs were lost to rain and bad light. Hammond batted with authority to top-score with an assured 81, while skipper van Buuren contributed a season’s best 75, the fifth wicket pair staging a meaningful alliance of 118 in 27 overs to afford Gloucestershire a potentially crucial advantage.Ben Charlesworth and Zaman Akhter then served up further defiance in an unbroken partnership of 38 for the seventh wicket as the home side made the most of the 52 overs available to improve their position after the first session had been washed out.Ethan Bamber and Tom Helm have taken two wickets apiece so far and, with more poor weather forecast for the third day, Middlesex will be heavily dependent upon these two when the new ball is taken in the morning.When Gloucestershire eventually resumed their first innings on 82 for 3 beneath leaden skies, the ball was still doing enough to keep the Middlesex seam quartet interested. Like Marchant de Lange on the first day, Helm used his height to extract additional bounce and movement off the pitch, finding James Bracey’s outside edge and providing the opportunity for Ryan Higgins to take a fine diving catch at third slip with the score on 113.Bracey departed for 16 and, with Charlesworth inconvenienced by an ankle injury and forced to drop down the order, the home side suddenly appeared vulnerable. Forced temporarily onto the back foot, Hammond and new batsman van Buuren were subjected to a test of their technique and temperament as Helm, Bamber and Higgins strained every sinew in an attempt to build upon their early breakthrough.But Gloucestershire’s fifth wicket pair proved obdurate, combining stoical defiance with deft placement and quick running between the wickets to see off the threat and keep the scoreboard turning. As overhead conditions eased, the ball softened and the pitch flattened out, so Hammond and van Buuren became more assertive.Hammond was first to 50, the 28-year-old left-hander going to that landmark from 67 balls with his eighth boundary, a handsome cover drive at the expense of Helm. Having posted two half centuries in the last match against Sussex at Hove without managing to convert either into a truly substantial score, Hammond appeared determined to stamp his authority on this occasion. With the exception of a loose drive off Josh de Caires, which fell just short of mid-on, he did not give the bowlers a sniff of a chance during a productive afternoon session.Playing more fluently following an uncertain start, van Buuren posted a statement of intent when hoisting Bamber for six over backward square before pulling the same bowler for four to go to his half century from 56 balls. Hammond pulled Helm over deep mid-wicket for six as he warmed to his task and his burgeoning partnership with his captain was worth 118 as Gloucestershire reached the tea interval handily-placed on 231 for 4, a lead of 28.Staring down the barrel of a potentially damaging first-innings deficit, Middlesex then received an unexpected double helping hand at the start of the final session, Hammond and van Buuren succumbing to soft dismissals and departing within the space of nine balls.Within sight of his fourth first-class hundred, Hammond suffered a loss of concentration, driving at a wide-ish deliver from Bamber and nicking the first ball after tea to Leus du Plooy at second slip. It was an anti-climactic end to an innings that had yielded 81 runs from 111 balls with nine fours and a six. Middlesex could scarcely believe their good fortune when, in the very next over, van Buuren mis-judged the length of a ball from De Caires and was bowled in the act of pulling, departing the scene for a 103-ball 75.Their expectations necessarily tempered and with two new batters at the crease, Gloucestershire’s earlier authority had been undermined. But Akhter and Charlesworth, the latter batting with Ollie Price as a runner, frustrated Middlesex in surviving for 15.3 overs and adding 38 runs for the seventh wicket before bad light forced the players off.More comfortable playing off the back foot, the injured Charlesworth plundered three boundaries to advance his score to 21 not out, while Akhter, emboldened by a career-best unbeaten 45 against Sussex last time out, reached 16 as Gloucestershire progressed their score to 271-6.If De Caires kept things reasonably tight and one end, fellow spinner du Plooy proved expensive when conceding 10 runs off one over as the light began to fail. Not surprisingly, when skipper du Plooy opted to take the new ball and press his frontline seamers back into action, umpires Neil Pratt and Surendiran Shanmugam decided to call a premature halt to proceedings with 25 overs remaining.

The allrounder was attempting an over-the-shoulder catch when the ball landed flush on his face, dislodging several teeth

Madushka Balasuriya08-Dec-2022Chamika Karunaratne will be available for selection for the rest of the Lanka Premier League despite undergoing an emergency dental surgery following a fielding mishap against Galle Gladiators on Wednesday.”He’s stable and out of danger,” Kandy Falcons’ team manager said. “He is available for selection and will be able to participate in the Kandy leg of the tournament.”The incident occurred in the fourth over of the game, when Karunaratne ran back from cover to take an over-the-shoulder catch off Carlos Brathwaite’s bowling. While Karunaratne held on to the chance, it was not before the ball landed flush on his face, dislodging several teeth.Karunaratne was taken to the hospital immediately following the accident, where he underwent surgery. He is understood to have lost four teeth in his lower frontal jaw, while also sustaining lacerations on his lower lip and gums.The injury comes in the wake of a taxing couple of weeks for the allrounder, which has seen him dropped from Sri Lanka’s national side after a disciplinary panel found him guilty of several breaches of the player agreement during the T20 World Cup in Australia.Ahead of the game against Gladiators, Karunaratne had spoken to the host broadcaster about his ambitions and using his time with Falcons as a platform to return to the national side.”For the last two years I had just one bad month, that was not my 100%,” he said. “New month, new LPL. Last year I did really well, so this year I also want to do well. I was just in Abu Dhabi [for the T10 league] and had a good tournament, so now I just want to get back into my rhythm and get back into the national team.”Falcons’ next match is against Jaffna Kings, a top-of-the-table clash on Saturday when the action moves to Pallekele.

Selectors recall uncapped seamer Caneisha Isaac in 13-member squad

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Jul-2021Chinelle Henry has been rested for the first two ODIs against Pakistan Women as the West Indies Women selection panel recalled uncapped seamer Caneisha Isaac as part of the 13-member squad for the first two of the five ODIs starting July 7. The other members of the T20I squad, which swept Pakistan 3-0 in the recent series, were retained and will be led by Stafanie Taylor, with Anisa Mohammed as her deputy.Henry and Chedean Nation were taken to a hospital during the second T20I against Pakistan after both collapsed on the field in separate incidents. Both players didn’t have to face any hospitalisations or restrictions and rejoined the squad ahead of the third T20I. Nation has been named in the squad for the first two ODIs.As for Issac, she was part of the West Indies A side that had played the last two T20s against Pakistan A before being drafted into the senior squad for the upcoming ODI series.The selectors also named a 14-member A squad to play against Pakistan Women’s A team in the first of the three one-day games starting July 10 at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. Wicketkeeper Reniece Boyce will lead the A team with allrounder Shabika Gajnabi as her deputy, as was the case in the recent T20s, which the visitors won 3-0.”The ODI series will be a perfect opportunity for the players to continue to prepare for the upcoming ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifiers,” Ann Browne-John, CWI’s lead selector of the women’s panel, said. “The teams had reasonably good performances during the T20 series, and it is important that they now transition into the longer version. The panel was satisfied with the T20 efforts and has opted for the same squads for the first two ODIs and the first A team match. This 50-overs series also gives the A team players a chance to play longer innings and extend themselves for longer bowling spells as they continue their development.”ODI squad: Stafanie Taylor (capt), Anisa Mohammed (vice-capt), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, Britney Cooper, Deandra Dottin, Caneisha Isaac, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Hayley Matthews, Chedean Nation, Karishma Ramharack, Shakera SelmanA squad: Reniece Boyce (capt), Shabika Gajnabi (vice-capt), Shanika Bruce, Cherry Ann Fraser, Jannillea Glasgow, Shenata Grimmond, Zaida James, Japhina Joseph, Qiana Joseph, Mandy Mangru, Kycia Schultz, Steffie Soogrim, Rachel Vincent, Rashada Williams

Fast-bowling depth to be tested if demanding international schedule goes ahead

Matt Roller13-May-2020England will consider handing international opportunities to fringe players and testing their fast-bowling depth to help them cope with a demanding revised summer schedule of behind-closed-doors cricket.The ECB have made extensive contingency plans in the hope of salvaging a home international season when it becomes safe to do so, with the current ambition of starting a Test series against West Indies on July 8. It is likely that as many as 30 players will be called up to any England squad in order to allow for intra-squad practice games, and the possibility of playing white-ball and red-ball series concurrently remains on the table.ALSO READ: ECB’s Test plans boosted by latest government strategyThat means that England’s depth will be put the test. Mo Bobat, the ECB’s performance director, has been in regular discussions with Chris Silverwood, England’s head coach, and Ed Smith, the national selector, over the past two months, and told ESPNcricinfo that there may be chances for players on the fringes of the national team to allow them to get through a “pretty brutal” fixture list.”We’ve got quite a broad talent pool – some guys that have done really well in the winter on the Lions programme, and plenty of guys knocking on the door, so we may have the opportunity to provide quite a few guys with some international exposure as and when we get to it,” Bobat said.”I get quite excited by that. If it means we’re going to provide international exposure to a new group of players, which we may have to, then I think that’s great. It’s probably common knowledge that we may have to explore things like playing concurrent squads, and that means our depth will get challenged, but I see that as an opportunity.”England’s fast-bowling depth will come under particular strain. Seamers will return to individualised training sessions at county grounds within the next two weeks to allow them as much lead-in time as possible before the planned start of the West Indies series, but with back-to-back Tests likely and players starting from a low base, rotation will be an inevitable feature of the summer.”For some of our fast bowlers, we know we want to get loads through their bodies and their bones need hardening again,” Bobat said. “It’s important to remember what we’re preparing for: we’re preparing for Test cricket, and a schedule that will involve back-to-back Tests. It’s a pretty brutal schedule: it’s not just preparing them to play one Test or a one-day game. It’s incumbent on us to make sure we give the players the best chance of making sure their bodies are in the right place to deal with that tough schedule.”While England have used as many as eight frontline seamers in Test cricket in the last 12 months, there are complications. Both Mark Wood and Jofra Archer were undergoing rehabilitation programmes following injuries when the UK went into lockdown, while Stuart Broad and James Anderson have suggested that returning from the training they are currently doing to international cricket may be harder for them given their age.England’s fast-bowling stocks will be tested this summer•Getty Images

That means opportunities for the three seamers handed pace-bowling development contracts by the ECB in January – Olly Stone, Saqib Mahmood and Craig Overton – may be forthcoming, while Ollie Robinson and Brydon Carse, who impressed on the Lions’ tour of Australia, will come into the conversation.The week before the UK went into lockdown, Bobat and Raphael Brandon, the ECB’s head of science and medicine, held meetings with the three seamers’ counties to discuss the outlines of programmes for the season ahead, and while those plans have been thrown off, all three will be considered for squads this year.ALSO READ: Pace-bowling development contracts for Mahmood, Stone, Overton“We know that we want variety in our pace attack, and across that variety we then want depth. It’s as simple as that,” Bobat said. “You can look at those three guys and know that they might have the capability to perform slightly different roles, and they represent depth beneath the guys who are currently in the England team.”The biggest attraction is simply that we think they are three high-quality bowlers. They’re at different stages: Craig has had experience of actually bowling some volume, [so] his needs are going to be different to Olly who’s returning from a couple of injury setbacks. We’re trying to make sure that they get the right amount of cricket to develop skills – as well as their bodies – moving forward.”I don’t think anyone is going to turn down a battery of 90mph fast bowlers, but that one attribute hasn’t been the key driver. If you add those three guys to the many fast bowlers we used this winter, it strengthens our depth. We want to get to our competitive series, like the [2021-22] Ashes as an example, with as many options to pick from as possible.”The ECB had been due to appoint a bowling coach in the early months of this season, but the recruitment process has been paused on account of the pandemic. Instead, England will continue to use short-term consultant coaches, with Richard Dawson, Jon Lewis and Jeetan Patel among those likely to be involved. Patel, Shane Bond and Darren Gough were among those used last winter, with players giving positive feedback about their experience working with them.”We deliberately didn’t rush into [appointments] over the winter in a number of coaching roles that I’d have been looking to fill,” Bobat said. “In the short term, we might use consultants. We’ve got an array of high-quality coaches within the game, and particularly if we’re losing cricket and guys are itching to get involved, it would be good to be able to lean on our county workforce if we need to.”

England batsman flies home for further assessment, with one-day tour of the Caribbean looming on the horizon

Mohammad Isam31-Jan-2019Alex Hales could be a doubt for the one-day leg of England’s tour of the Caribbean – their last opportunity to fine-tune their squad selection for the forthcoming World Cup – after being ruled out of the rest of the BPL with a shoulder injury.Hales, who is not currently in England’s first-choice XI in ODI cricket, sustained the injury during Rangpur Riders’ match against Rajshahi Kings in Chattogram on January 29. He had been in fine form in this year’s competition, making 304 runs in eight games for the Riders, at a strike-rate of 167.03 with a century and two fifties.The one-day leg of England’s Caribbean tour gets underway in just under a month’s time, on February 20, with five ODIs followed by three T20Is. England’s World Cup squad is due to be named by April 23.His injury means the Riders will be without two of their key batsmen in the qualifiers, as AB de Villiers will also leave after he has played his sixth game, their last league phase match, on February 2.According to coach Tom Moody, Hales will seek further remedial advice once he is back in London.”We got the news last night. He requires going back to London to have some specialist’s opinion on his left shoulder,” Moody said. “He hurt his left shoulder in the last game during his batting. The ECB requested that he get some further medical advice.”The absence of both Hales and de Villiers, who made a rapid hundred in this year’s tournament, leaves the Riders short on overseas star quality going into the final stages of the competition.”Unfortunately that’s the end of his tournament with us and obviously he had a significant impact and great value to us,” he said.Moody however said that the Riders’ squad has the depth to tackle the loss of two top batsmen. “We knew from the outset that we had [AB de Villiers] for a certain number of matches, so we are prepared for that.As much as we would as a team, franchise and tournament would love him to play to the end of the final, it’s not going to happen. As with Alex Hales, we will plan accordingly. We feel we have the necessary quality to make the adjustment,” he said.Riders are currently on top of the points table with a place confirmed in the qualifiers that begins on February 4.

Matt Prior, the former England wicketkeeper, has stepped up his war of words with Australia’s Nathan Lyon

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2017
Matt Prior, the former England wicketkeeper, has stepped up his war of words with Australia’s Nathan Lyon, warning the offspinner that it could be his own career that is ended if England repeat their Ashes triumph of 2010-11.Prior, an integral part of the side that won the Ashes Down Under in 2010-11, was one of the most prominent England failures on their return trip three years later, making 107 runs in six innings before being dropped for the fourth Test of the series.

However, having already hit back at Lyon’s claim that he had been “scared” of the extreme pace generated by Mitchell Johnson in that series, Prior went one step further in a pair of Twitter posts, as he addressed Lyon’s desire to “end some more careers” when the 2017-18 series gets underway on Thursday.”I sincerely hope you’re not part of a losing @CricketAus team on home soil @NathLyon421,” Prior wrote. “I still remember being sat on the outfield at the SCG after winning 3-1 while your press&fans were tearing into the Oz players. You want to end careers? Just make sure its not yours that ends.”Prior is no stranger to wars of words, having been the subject of a vitriolic attack from his former team-mate, Kevin Pietersen, who labelled him the “big cheese” in his autobiography in 2014.By and large, Prior kept his counsel on that occasion, but he has been less willing to take Lyon’s comments lying down.”Last time someone spouted a whole load of BS about me I stayed quiet not this time,” he wrote. “To be clear I may have been playing badly fair enough but there was no way I was getting on a plane home. You’ve embarrassed yourself @NathLyon421 & this game has a funny way of biting back.”

Half-centuries from Hilton Cartwright, Nic Maddinson and Beau Webster took Australia A to a dominant position on the second day of their four-day game against India A

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Sep-2016
Scorecard1:44

WATCH – Cartwright 99* extends Australia A lead to 150

Half-centuries from Hilton Cartwright, Nic Maddinson and Beau Webster took Australia A to a dominant position on the second day of their four-day game against India A. Australia A needed just four balls to dismiss overnight batsman Hardik Pandya for 79 and wrap up India A’s innings for 169, with Kane Richardson adding one to his overnight tally to finish with 4 for 37.In reply, Australia A had marched on to 5 for 319 for a lead of 150, with Cartwright unbeaten on 99 when stumps were drawn at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane.Australia A got off to a wobbly start, losing both openers inside the first five overs to Shardul Thakur. Travis Dean was dismissed off the fourth ball of the innings, caught behind for a duck. Joe Burns, the captain, fell four overs later, caught at second slip by Pandya to leave Australia A 11 for 2.Maddinson and Kurtis Patterson then got together for the repair job and negotiated a demanding period, adding 92 for the third wicket in just under 21 overs. India A could have ended the stand earlier but for a reprieve to Maddinson when the batsman was on 34. Varun Aaron sent down three no-balls in an over, including one that took the outside edge and flew to Naman Ojha.Maddinson was well-supported by Patterson who collected a calm 25 off 61 balls before being caught behind off Hardik Pandya. Maddinson fell 15 overs later when he was caught by Pandey off Jayant Yadav’s offspin. His 81 came off 114 balls and included 12 fours and two sixes.Webster and Cartwright then took centrestage, combining for a fifth-wicket stand of 152 and kept the India A bowlers at bay for 43.2 overs. Webster’s 79 off 186 balls included nine fours. He fell towards the end of the day, caught behind off Thakur to give the right-arm medium pacer his third wicket. Wicketkeeper Sam Whiteman then kept Cartwright company for around 10 overs. Cartwright had struck 14 fours and a six in his 153-ball knock.India A used five bowlers. Thakur took three wickets, but was expensive, going at over four an over. Pandya and Yadav took a wicket each, while Dhawal Kulkarni and Aaron went wicketless.

Alex Blake smashed an unbeaten 59 off just 24 balls as Kent made sure of a place in the NatWest T20 Blast quarter-finals with a three-wicket win over Gloucestershire at Cheltenham

ECB/PA12-Jul-2015
ScorecardAlex Blake’s unbeaten 59 from just 24 balls took Kent home•Getty Images

Alex Blake smashed an unbeaten 59 off just 24 balls as Kent made sure of a place in the NatWest T20 Blast quarter-finals with a three-wicket win over Gloucestershire at Cheltenham.The powerful left-hander smote four sixes and five fours to see his side to a target of 167 with two balls to spare. Sam Northeast contributed 49 and Joe Denly 31, while Craig Miles claimed 3 for 27.Gloucestershire had posted 166 for seven after losing the toss, Michael Klinger strengthening his position as the competition’s leading run-maker with 75 from 50 balls. Mitch Claydon was the most successful Kent bowler with three wickets.Klinger’s runs took his aggregate in the South Group to 653 at an average of 108.83. But, while leaders Kent can now look forward to the knock-out stages, Gloucestershire face elimination.The hosts suffered a setback in the second over of their innings when Hamish Marshall, who had already moved to 11, was forced to retire hurt with a recurrence of a calf injury. Ian Cockbain joined Klinger and the pair took the score to 36 in the fifth over when Cockbain was caught behind off Claydon for 11.Klinger and fellow Australian Peter Handscomb then added 79 in 9.1 overs, Klinger moving to his half-century off 34 balls, with five fours and a six over square leg off Calum Haggett.Handscomb fell for 28, bowled by Fabian Cowdrey attempting to sweep, but Klinger deposited the left-arm spinner over wide long-on for his second six before departing in the same over, the 17th, to a catch at backward point. From then on Gloucestershire lost momentum as Geraint Jones, Jack Taylor, Benny Howell and Tom Smith were dismissed in the closing overs, Claydon and Matt Coles sharing the wickets.The Kent reply was given a brisk start by Joe Denly, who smashed the fourth ball of the innings from Craig Miles back over his head for a straight six and registered another maximum in the third over off Liam Norwell. But Gloucestershire struck two blows in the Powerplay as Bell Drummond was caught behind driving at Miles and Denly fell lbw to James Fuller, having hit 31 off 18 balls.Sam Billings had made only 5 when attempting to reverse sweep the first ball sent down by left-arm spinner Tom Smith, the competition’s leading wicket-taker, and being brilliantly caught above his head at full stretch by Howell at backward point.Darren Stevens and Cowdrey also fell cheaply. But Northeast was still there and when big-hitting Blake came in to launch sixes off Howell and Smith the game seemed to be tilting Kent’s way.The 17th over, bowled by Miles, saw the Kent captain depart one short of his half-century, caught on the midwicket boundary with 36 still needed. But Blake responded with another six and three fours of the next over from Norwell to virtually settle the outcome and ended the game by clearing the ropes for the fourth time.