Nottinghamshire Outlaws v Kent Spitfires

KENT qualified for Twenty20 finals day for the first time after sweeping aside Nottinghamshire Outlaws by nine wickets in their re-scheduled quarter final tie at Trent Bridge.

Only 24 hours after avoiding a dreaded bowl off in soggy conditions when ECB granted permission to postpone the game for a day, Spitfires had the best game plan for a slow pitch and deservedly sealed a place in the last four with a last gasp win in front of a disappointing crowd of 7,500.

Leading from the front as the visitors chased Outlaws 138 all out, Kent captain Rob Key scored the first half-century of the night from 39 balls with a brace of fours and sixes for his part in an opening stand of 91 in 13 overs with Denly - Kent's best in five years of cup competition easily beating their 65 against Sussex in Canterbury back in June.

Key twice cleared the ropes, firstly with a 'Mal Loye style' slog sweep off medium-pacer Gareth Clough then secondly with a more conventional sweep against off-spinner Graeme Swann.

But, in trying to repeat the shot, Key got a top edge that sailed to Samit Patel at deep square leg, but Key sidled off knowing the job was all but done.

Denly too posted a deserved half-century from 46 balls with a sharply run three to fine leg, his alert running and five boundaries another feature of this excellent Kent display.

With 11 needed off the last two overs Denly almost blotted his copy book by taking only two off Mark Ealham's penultimate over of the innings but, with nine needed off the last from Andrew Harris, Denly scrambled two, swept a full toss for four and then worked a leg-side single to tie the scores and finish unbeaten on 63 for 61 balls.

So it was Martin van Jaarsveld (18) who pushed the winning single to mid-off to win the game with a ball to spare, leaving Denly to collect the man-of-the-match award.

Having raced away to an ideal, 10-an-over start with a first wicket stand of 82, Nottinghamshire were severely reigned in by some tight Kent bowling.

Outlaws skipper Stephen Fleming with 49 and his one-day opening partner Graeme Swann with 30, both from 28 balls faced, made hay against the hard new ball as Yasir Arafat, Andrew Hall and Ryan McLaren initially found it hard to tie the home batsmen down.

The introduction of James Tredwell from the pavilion end for the eighth over and then Simon Cook, the cup's leading wicket-taker, for the ninth had the desired effect and Kent soon stopped haemorrhaging runs and taking wickets instead.

Kiwi left-hander Fleming was first to go for his side's top-score when aiming across a big in-swinger from Cook then, in the next over Swann followed when he heaved across the line to lose middle and off to Tredwell and start a dramatic collapse that saw Nottinghamshire lose all 10 wickets for 56 in the space of 11 overs.

Thereafter, only deposed England wicketkeeper Chris Read with 26 from 24 balls, made it into double figures as Kent's slower bowlers, ably supported by some sound catching, turned the screw on a slow pitch.

Samit Patel (2) clipped back a return catch to a flighted ball from Tredwell, Will Jefferson (3) drove high off the bat against Stevens to sky to Ryan McLaren running round to mid-off, then David Hussey's (7) attempts to slog van Jaarsveld's off-spinners back over his head resulted in a pegged back off stump.

From 100 for five the last five went for only 38 as Kent held their nerve and the Outlaws lost theirs with Hall, Cook and Tredwell each claiming two wickets apiece.

Bilal Shafayat (7) then skied to deep mid-wicket to be held by Neil Dexter at the third attempt then former Kent favourite Ealham (4) clipped off his legs only to pick out Denly running in from deep mid-wicket.

The last three wickets fell in Andrew Hall's last over of the innings and without addition to the score.

Read lost his off stump to a missed slog, Gareth Clough (3) was run out when backing up to far to Rob Ferley's straight drive then Ferley (0) was bowled when trying an audacious last ball slog-sweep.

Having laid great foundations Nottinghamshire's batting had crumbled away almost to nothing and Kent were again in the mood to complete the demolition job.

This season's finals day is to be played at Edgbaston on Saturday, August 4.

Scores: Nottinghamshire 138 all out; Kent 139 for one after 19.5 overs.