Kent expect to name an unchanged side from their win over Essex last time out, with no new injury concerns for the hosts while Lancashire have Jos Buttler and Keaton Jennings back, released from England duty for the game, which is a major plus
Joe Denly and Alex Davies will both be aiming to get their sides to Finals Day
Kent Spitfires and Lancashire Lightning kick off four consecutive days of T20 Blast quarter-finals when they meet on Thursday at St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury in a mouth-watering clash of two former winners.
Kent finished second in South Group while their opponents Lancashire came third in North Group.
Kent expect to name an unchanged side from their win over Essex last time out, with no new injury concerns for the hosts.
Lancashire have Jos Buttler and Keaton Jennings back, released from England duty for the game, which is a major plus.
The hosts come into the quarter-finals off of the back of a rich vein of form, winning their last three games on the trot to progress through to the last eight. Needing to win their final group fixture against Essex to ensure a home quarter-final tie, Kent chased 202 to win in a flawless performance that should put all the other remaining sides on notice.
Daniel Bell-Drummond smashed his way to 80 from 51 balls in a brutal display of hitting which highlighted the firepower at the disposal of the Spitfires.
Lancashire, despite suffering a big defeat at the hands of Birmingham in the final game of the group stages, come into the quarter-finals with nothing to lose. Wins against Durham, Birmingham and Yorkshire preceding that proved that the Red Rose are a dangerous outfit that blends power with canny guile in the form of their spin-led attack.
They may be without the injured Liam Livingstone, which is a big blow, but they possess one of the form players in the competition in Alex Davies, the third top scorer.
Kent’s player of the season, undoubtedly Joe Denly, will be the man to watch again on Thursday. With 396 runs at an average of 39, including a sensational 102 runs from 63 balls in a win over Surrey, alongside 19 wickets at a sensational average of 16, and a brilliant economy rate of seven, Denly has been one of the standout men in the T20 Blast this year.
An all-round threat, Denly is the top player in the Player Performance Index on either side, lying in a brilliant 28th place, with 622 points. If Lancashire are to stand a chance then Denly will need to be kept quiet in both innings.
With 510 runs, well over double the amount of any teammate that will line-up alongside him on Thursday, Alex Davies has been Lancashire’s standout player in the 2018 T20 Blast. At an extraordinary average of 63, with six 50s, 56 fours and 11 sixes, Davies has been the key man for the Red Rose’s batting and he will be central to his side’s hopes of reaching Finals Day.
Jos Buttler and Keaton Jennings are both available for selection for Lancashire
Joe Denly v Alex Davies
Denly’s batting will be important but so, too, will his bowling especially in trying to get out Lancashire’s danger man Alex Davies. If Lancashire are to stand any chance then it is likely that Davies will need to score runs and, so, Kent will look to their leading wicket-taking leg-spinner to remove the third highest run scorer in the competition quickly.
Sam Billings v Matt Parkinson
Denly and Daniel Bell-Drummond have taken some headlines this year for their batting for Kent but forget Sam Billings at your peril. The England man has undoubted star quality and his 335 runs at an average of 55 this competition has been brilliant too.
For Lancashire, then, Matt Parkinson’s leg-breaks will be vital in nullifying the threat of Billings and co. Parkinson, with 20 wickets, is the competitions fourth highest wicket-taker and will be tasked in dealing the blows to the hosts.
Adam Milne v James Faulkner
For all that is said about Kent’s batting, their bowling is also well rounded with genuine pace provided by Adam Milne. Alongside Denly, Milne will be a big threat and his battle with Lancashire’s batsmen will be a major factor in the match.
As the 55th best T20 player in the world according to the Player Performance Index, James Faulkner bears a lot of responsibility for holding the Lancashire middle order together and using his firepower to reach a big score. Faulkner’s duel with Milne will therefore be an important one.
Kent Coach Matt Walker has said: “Every team you meet in a quarter-final are going to be very tough to beat, but we’re on our home patch and that’s brilliant for the club, brilliant for the fans.
“It’s hopefully a chance to get a good result this year. We’ll need to be at our best to beat them as you do when you get to this stage of the competition.”
Lancashire’s Matt Parkinson, on the fixture and its placing immediately after their county fixture against Surrey, has said: “It's not ideal but we'll be fine. We'll get a good night's sleep after the day-night game and we'll be ready to go on Thursday evening."
Tickets are still available but selling fast – Adults £25, Adults Woolley Stand £30, Juniors £7 https://www.kentcricketshop.co.uk/event_listing.aspx
Kent should have enough in the batting department to best a Lancashire side too reliant on Alex Davies, although if he goes big then the visitors could be in with a shout. The return of Jos Buttler is also massive and he could swing things Lancashire’s way very quickly. Spin, through Matt Parkinson and Zahir Khan, will be the name of the game for Lancashire but Kent should be able to cope while their varied bowling attack will cause Lancashire problems. This may be enough to see themselves through to Finals Day.
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