Comments |
Read all comments on this story.
Rob Key bowled by David Masters for five Picture: Barry Goodwin
Kent Spitfires suffered a dramatic three-run defeat against Essex in Friends Life t20 South at Chelmsford on Wednesday night.
Mark Davies gave Kent a perfect start, accounting for Mark Pettini, however James Franklin (39) and Graham Napier (20) led the recovery before James Foster made a swashbuckling 51 off 27 balls - including four sixes and two fours.
He eventually fell to Matt Coles in an over which saw the Kent man go for 24 runs, including eight off a single delivery when a no-ball was despatched for six.
After piling on 53 runs in the final four overs, Essex posted 158-6, with Coles claiming 2-46 in his four overs.
Former Kent bowler David Masters accounted for Rob Key (5) and Azhar Mahmood (0) in successive deliveries as Kent reached 61-2 at the halfway stage.
However Sam Billings amassed a fine 59 off 55 balls, and shared a stand of 54 in seven overs with Brendan Nash (26) as Kent reached 118-3 at the start of the 17th over before proceeding to lose their last seven wickets for the addition of 37 runs.
Medium-pacer Greg Smith was the tormentor in chief, claiming 5-17 including the scalps of Billings and Nash in consecutive balls.
Sam Northeast clubbed two sixes to keep the visitors in touch and Kent were boosted by a six-run penalty against the hosts for a slow over rate.
Kent needed 17 off the final over, and a six from Adam Ball gave them hope, however needing four from the final delivery, last-man Davies was bowled by Napier.
It was just the second defeat of the season in all competitions for Jimmy Adams’ men, while it was the first t20 win of the year for Essex.
Thursday, June 21 2012
Print Article
Buy a KM Picture
The KM Group does not moderate comments.
Please click here for our house rules.
Source: www.kentonline.co.uk
Kent State must wait another day - Boston Herald
OMAHA, Neb. — Opposing coaches in the College World Series have had nothing but positive things to say about Kent State.
But the Golden Flashes refuse to let go of the chip on their shoulders that has carried them through an unprecedented run in the NCAA Tournament.
Even on Tuesday, senior shortstop Jimmy Rider hoped South Carolina would still be upset about its 2-1 loss Monday to Arkansas and overlook KSU.
"I hope they’re looking to get that Arkansas rematch," Rider said after practice at Bellevue East High School.
Kent State (47-19) was scheduled to take on two-time defending champion (46-18) South Carolina in a College World Series elimination game Wednesday night at TD Ameritrade Park. Due to heavy rain, the game was postponed and rescheduled for noon on Thursday. If Kent State wins, the Flashes will play again at 9 p.m. against Arkansas.
Kent State coach Scott Stricklin probably doesn’t want to correct the Golden Flashes’ perceived slight by college baseball’s superpowers. Of the teams KSU has faced in Omaha, Arkansas was making its seventh trip to the CWS, Florida its eighth and South Carolina its 11th.
"It’s tough for that team to play against us," Kent State center fielder Evan Campbell said Tuesday, referring to South Carolina. "They’re used to playing the Floridas and the Arkansases, they’re not used to playing Kent State. We get really pumped up to play teams like that and they’re kinda like, ’Kent State?"’
A Mid-American Conference team hadn’t reached the College World Series since Eastern Michigan in 1976.
Since the NCAA Tournament began, Kent State has eliminated Kentucky (Southeastern Conference), Purdue (Big Ten) and Oregon (Pac-12), lost to Arkansas (SEC) and ousted Florida (SEC).
Kent State’s next game will mark the Golden Flashes’ second consecutive game against an SEC foe and fifth in nine NCAA games, including two against Kentucky in the Gary, Ind., regional. KSU will have faced four of the top six seeds in the SEC Tournament รข€" the No. 2 Gamecocks, No. 3 Gators, No. 4 Wildcats and No. 6 Razorbacks. (LSU was No. 1.)
"They’re a powerhouse conference," Campbell said Tuesday of the SEC. "People underestimate the MAC a little bit, we get overshadowed by the Big Ten and schools like that. It shows the caliber of players we have."
Before Stricklin’s team left for a best-of-three super regional series in Eugene, Ore., he was playing up the "Nobody believes in us" angle. The Golden Flashes were coming off a 7-6, 21-inning victory over Kentucky, a 7-3 triumph over Purdue and a 3-2 victory over UK in the Gary regional.
"Kentucky showed us nothing but respect, but they still kind of felt like big brother looking down at little brother," Stricklin said after a practice at Kent State earlier this month. "Even if it wasn’t there, our kids felt like that and wanted to make sure we’re not going to get pushed around.
"Anyone who saw our games with Kentucky would tell you talent-wise it was the same. Both of those games could have gone either way. They played good; we played good."
Stricklin got the same vibe against Purdue.
"Purdue won the Big Ten by a large margin," Stricklin said that day at Kent State. "Everyone that saw that game, and it was on the Big Ten Network, saw that we were the better team. That was very satisfying, not only as a coaching staff, but for our players. We felt we were, but to go out there and do it and prove it, it felt really good."
Source: www.bostonherald.com
Kent lose out to Essex in thrilling style - Kent News
Kent's Sam Billings. Picture by Ady Kerry.
Greg Miles, Twitter: @greg_KOS_sport
Thursday, June 21, 2012
10:59 AM
Last over drama sees Spitfires lose by three runs
Kent looked on course for victory over rivals Essex in the t20 until a collapse of wickets led to a thrilling run chase in the final overs.
Essex hit 158 for 6 in their 20 overs, which wasn’t an unreachable target.
And Jimmy Adams’s side looked on course for victory until the 17th over, when they were 118 for three, but Greg Smith took five wickets in two overs as Kent could only add another 37 runs, falling just four short of victory in the final over.
A six-run penalty against Essex for a slow over-rate moved Kent’s chase closer but with four needed to win off the final ball, Graham Napier bowled last man Mark Davies.
Kent were initially on the backfoot on 23 for two with David Masters taking the wickets of Rob Key, and Azhar Mahmood early on. Sam Billings and Brendan Nash shared a fourth-wicket stand of 54 in seven overs to steady the ship.
But then came Smith’s contribution, first he took Billings for 59, and Nash in successive deliveries. Then Geraint Jones went for one, and Sam Northeast, after two sixes, and Matt Coles were also dismissed.
With Kent needing four runs to win on the final ball Davies was bowled by Napier.
Source: www.kentnews.co.uk
London 2012: Jenny Meadows a doubt for Olympic Games - The Guardian
Jenny Meadows's participation in the London 2012 Olympics is in doubt after she was ruled out of this weekend's trials in Birmingham. The 800m runner has not raced at all this year because of an achilles injury.
Meadows is still recovering from the problem and will now need to rely on the discretion of the selectors to be awarded the third and final place on the team for London. "I am gutted to be missing out on the trials, but we always knew it would be a race against time to be fit enough," she said. "Every day of my recovery is like a week so the extra few days ahead of [the European championships in] Helsinki will make a big difference to the injury and ensure I am able to go out and compete and demonstrate my fitness ahead of selection for London 2012."
Jeanette Kwakye, a 2008 Olympic finalist in the 100m, will also miss the trials due to an achilles and ankle injury. "I have been working with the UKA medical team at Lee Valley and on their advice and in consultation with my coach Michael Afilaka we have decided to miss the trials," said Kwakye, who has a best of 11.68sec this year and sits well down the British rankings. "We will reassess the injury on Monday in relation to the European championships.
"I am eligible for selection for the Games and am still determined to be fit and ready for competing in my own backyard in Stratford."
The pair's withdrawal is worrying news with the Games six weeks away and comes just a day after Hannah England, the world championships silver medallist over 1500m, announced she too would miss the trials after suffering a spike to her achilles in a race in Holland three weeks ago.
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
London politicians call for Munich '72 remembrance - YAHOO!
LONDON (Reuters) - London politicians urged the International Olympic Committee to show political courage and allow a minute's silence during the opening or closing ceremonies of the London Games to mark the 40th anniversary of the Munich massacre.
Eleven Israeli team members died at the 1972 Olympics in Munich after being held hostage by Palestinian gunmen.
The London Assembly unanimously voted on Wednesday for a motion supporting a minute's silence for the athletes and coaches who died in the attack.
Andrew Dismore, who proposed the motion, said the deaths went beyond politics and nationality.
"The IOC say to have a minute's silence to commemorate these victims of terrorism would be a ‘political gesture', but surely not having a minute's silence is, in itself, the political gesture," he said in a statement.
"This is not about the nationality of the victims - they were Olympians."
Londoners have forked out about 10 percent of the 9.3 billion pound public bill to stage the Games, with the rest coming from central government and the national lottery.
Roger Evans, another lawmaker, who seconded the motion, said: "The IOC needs to show some political courage and allow the commemoration of a tragedy that affected their guests during their event in their venue 40 years ago.
"This important decision should not be dictated by a small number of their members."
The London organising committee (LOCOG), responsible for staging the Games, said it was a matter for the IOC.
The IOC was not immediately available for comment.
(Reporting by Avril Ormsby; Editing by Robert Woodward)
Source: news.yahoo.com
