Reigning champions Kent Spitfires (282-9) win first One-Day Cup game against Yorkshire Vikings (117-4) by two runs on Duckworth-Lewis method at Scarborough

Superb centuries by Joey Evison and Ben Compton helped champions Kent Spitfires get their One-Day Cup title defence off to a winning start against Yorkshire at soggy Scarborough on Tuesday.

Spitfires, who had slipped to 49-4 after 15 overs after being inserted, posted 282-9 thanks to a 219-run partnership between all-rounder Evison (136) and Compton (103).

A trio of rain delays revised the home target to 261 in 43 overs, 235 in 35 overs and, finally, 181 in 24 overs.

Kent only won by two runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method, owing to late drama. After the third delay, the hosts resumed on 53-2 from 11 overs and raced to 117-4 from 17 overs - only for more rain to leave them narrowly short.

Earlier, Ben Coad struck three times with the new ball in helpful conditions for the Vikings, bowling his 10 overs straight through for 3-16.

But opener Compton and Evison played contrasting knocks to share Kent’s List A record 219 inside 33 overs for the fifth wicket.

The drama wasn’t done, though, as Yorkshire all-rounder Matthew Revis (3-57) then claimed a hat-trick as five wickets fell in the last 15 balls of the visiting innings.

After mid-innings rain, Yorkshire’s director of cricket Darren Gough saw his side lose Fin Bean to Australian debutant James Bazley’s seam (2-20) to the fifth ball of their chase for two, Hamid Qadri taking a smart catch at point.

But the Vikings, after a further brief stoppage, were recovering through wicketkeeper opener Harry Duke and his captain Shan Masood, who put on 49 to take the score to 52-1 after 10 overs.

Masood, back from Pakistan duty, was playing confidently for 31. But he was run-out by an Evison direct hit at the non-striker’s end from mid-on with the first ball of the 11th over.

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