Match preview: Kent Spitfires v Gloucestershire
20 June 2022
Gloucestershire travel to Canterbury to face Kent Spitfires tomorrow night as the T20 Vitality Blast enters the business end of the competition with just four matches remaining. Glos go into the fixture in the all-important top four and with a win over Kent, could solidify their place in the quarter-finals of the Blast.
Kent are rooted to the bottom of the table having only won two of their ten matches so far. The home side lost their last T20 match away at Middlesex on Sunday by seven wickets, and were well beaten by The Shire in the match at Bristol’s Seat Unique Stadium on 1 June.
Despite winning the competition last season, Kent have only recorded wins against Somerset and Middlesex so far in this year’s Vitality Blast.
Gloucestershire, on the other hand, saw their match v Glamorgan on Saturday rained off without a ball being bowled and in the preview match on Friday, fell to a disappointing seven-run defeat at the hands of local rivals Somerset. Dale Benkenstein’s side will therefore be looking to get back to winning ways to kickstart what could be a campaign-defining week of T20 cricket for The Shire.
Glos have won four and lost four of their 10 matches (two no results) so far this year and did pick up a win in the last away match v Glamorgan.
Kent Spitfires v Gloucestershire | T20 Vitality Blast | Watch every ball on the Gloscricket Match Centre HERE | 6.30pm Start Time
Gloucestershire are still without the injured Graeme van Buuren and Ben Charlesworth, who are continuing with their recovery from injury, and are also without loanee Zak Chappell, who has suffered some side soreness and has been rested for the fixture v Kent Spitfires as a precaution. The Shire are also without David Payne, who has joined up with the England ODI squad for a tour of The Netherlands.
Gloucestershire are otherwise unchanged from the squad that was selected to face Glamorgan on Saturday.
Glenn Phillips, whose half-century v Kent in Bristol at the start of the month helped to secure victory, will be looking to score yet more runs against the Spitfires tomorrow night.
Here’s your 13-man squad to face Kent Spitfires:
Kent Spitfires v Gloucestershire | T20 Vitality Blast | Watch every ball on the Gloscricket Match Centre HERE | 6.30pm Start Time
