T20 Blast final:

Kent Spitfires beat Somerset to lift trophy for second time
KENT Spitfires proved too strong for Somerset under the Edgbaston lights as
they won the 2021 T20 Blast by 25 runs.
After beating Sussex by 21 runs in the semi-final, Kent put in an incredible
fielding display in the final as they beat 2005 winners and now four-times beaten
finalists, Somerset.
Jordan Cox, with 58 not out off 28 balls, and England’s Zak Crawley (41) were
the stars in Kent’s 167-7.
But Somerset fell short on 142-9 as 2007 victors, Kent, won a second title.
It is 14 years since Kent won their only previous T20 title, beating
Gloucestershire, also at Edgbaston. And two of their team that day, 45-year-old
Darren Stevens, in the semi-final, and 35-year-old Joe Denly, with three wickets
in the final, played big roles.
Kent got off to a poor start when spinner Roelof van der Merwe got stuck into
their top order, just as he had done to Lancashire in last month’s quarter-final.
Crawley began the recovery before Cox took over responsibilities, first playing
the supporting role in a 36-run stand with Jack Leaning, then marshalling the rest
of the batters to a defendable total.
Somerset had performed a near miracle earlier in the day to recover from 79-6 in
their two-wicket semi-final win over Hampshire.
But, despite 43 from teenager Will Smeed on the ground where he had starred
for Birmingham Phoenix in the Hundred this summer, there was to be no second
great escape, despite two more miraculous moments.
Smeed rebuilt from 3-2 in a risk-free 58-run stand with Tom Abell (26), who was
snared at backward point.
The 19-year-old then survived being caught on the boundary in a hugely
controversial moment. Cox claimed the catch but was then clattered into by a

sliding Daniel Bell-Drummond who touched the boundary cushion while their legs
were in contact.
Third umpire Neil Bainton not only adjudged it not out but also a six. Although
just three balls later Smeed showed he still has much to learn when he holed out
again to Cox, this time without any hint of controversy.
In another incredible piece of action in the field, Cox then raced around the
boundary to make a giant leap at Lewis Gregory’s leg-side swat and palm it back
to Matt Milnes with one hand, who completed the catch in front of a disbelieving
Eric Hollies Stand.
It was part of five wickets which went down for 34 in the middle overs. And, with
Denly and Qais Ahmad combining to produce the best return for any spinners in
a T20 final, with a combined analysis of 5-50, that sealed Kent’s deserved
success.
Kent all-rounder Darren Stevens told BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra:
“I’m not generally a man of few words but I feel pretty speechless. It’s days like
this that I’m still playing the game for.
“We’ve been pretty consistent all the way through but Jordan Cox was
outstanding to get us to that total and I’ve never seen anything like his catch
before.
“I’ve not been in the T20 side for four years and I told the coach I wanted to play
all forms and I’ve changed my game a bit.”(BBC Sport)