Kent will be up against the challenge of Gloucestershire in Match 93 of T20 Blast 2022 at St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury, on June 21 (Tuesday).
Kent is languishing at the bottom of the points table with only two wins in 10 league matches. In their last fixture, they could score only 141, with Sam Billings emerging as the top scorer with a contribution of 29 off 33 balls. Then Fred Klaassen was the pick of the bowlers with two scalps as the opposition chased down the score quickly.
Players like Darren Stevens, Harry Podmore & Nathan Gilchrist remain unavailable for Kent due to respective injury concerns. However, they will undoubtedly need match-winning performances from the likes of Joe Denly and Qais Ahmad to get back on track in the tournament.
Gloucestershire has four wins in 10 games this season. Their last fixture was a wash-out at Bristol. However, their earlier game witnessed them conceding 184 runs, with the experienced bowlers like Mohammad Amir and Benny Howell doing well to pocket two wickets each.
Although Higgins and Howell scored 40+ runs each, they lost by a seven-run margin.
The experienced batter Chris Dent is back on the squad, which will boost the whole team's confidence. However, the Shires have rested Zak Chappell for this fixture as the player reported soreness. Therefore, they will need to secure wins in most of the remaining games to remain in the hunt for the playoffs.
Match Details
Match: Kent vs Gloucestershire, Match 93
Venue: St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury
Date & Time: June 21 at 11:30 PM IST
Live Streaming: FanCode and YouTube
Pitch Report: The average first innings score at Canterbury this season has been 174, which depicts the batters hammering the bowlers all around the park. It will take a daunting effort from the bowlers to control the run flow, and the variations will hold the key for them to help their team win the game.
Head-To-Head
Both teams have faced each other 20 times in the T20 format, and Gloucs have been a slightly better side with 11 wins under their belt. Earlier in this edition, Gloucestershire was also terrific to secure an easy six-wicket victory.
Squads
Kent: Joe Denly, Zak Crawley, Jordan Cox, Sam Billings (c & wk), Jack Leaning, Alex Blake, George Linde, Qais Ahmad, Matt Milnes, Matthew Quinn, Fred Klaassen, Jass Singh, Grant Stewart, Tawanda Muyeye, Daniel Bell Drummond
Gloucestershire: Miles Hammond, James Bracey (wk), Ian Cockbain, Glenn Phillips, Ryan Higgins, Jack Taylor (c), Benny Howell, Tom Smith, Mohammad Amir, Matt Taylor, Josh Shaw, George Scott, Chris Dent
Probable Playing XI
Kent: Joe Denly, Zak Crawley, Jordan Cox, Sam Billings (c & wk), Jack Leaning, Alex Blake, George Linde, Qais Ahmad, Matt Milnes, Matthew Quinn, Fred Klaassen
Gloucestershire: Chris Dent, Miles Hammond, James Bracey (wk), Ian Cockbain, Glenn Phillips, Ryan Higgins, Jack Taylor(c), Benny Howell, Matt Taylor, Mohammad Amir, Josh Shaw
CREX XI Suggestion
Wicket-Keeper: Sam Billings, Glenn Phillips
Batters: Joe Denly, Chris Dent, Jack Taylor, Zak Crawley
All-Rounders: Ryan Higgins, Benny Howell
Bowlers: Qais Ahmad, Fred Klaassen, Mohammad Amir
Captain: Benny Howell
Vice-Captain: Chris Dent