Kent Spitfires missed the chance to all-but secure a place in the T20 Blast knockout stages, losing their final group home game to Sussex Sharks at Canterbury on Friday night.
The hosts couldn’t chase down 129 for a Duckworth-Lewis win inside 10 overs amid a rain-affected match, as they were beaten by 11 runs, after a brilliant Ravi Bopara century had seen the visitors total 228 from their 20-over allocation.
A seventh straight Blast victory in front of a sold-out ground would have seen Spitfires within sight of the knockout stages although, with basement boys Middlesex beating Essex Eagles, Kent only need to beat Somerset this Sunday at Taunton to book their spot in the Quarter-Finals still.
Bowler Matt Quinn reflected: “I think ‘chaotic’ is probably the best word to describe it. “We were bowling in the rain for pretty much the whole 20 overs – the ball was like a bar of soap!