Worcestershire stumble after Miles four

Gloucestershire 181 for 2 (Roderick 88*, Gidman 57*) trail Worcestershire 194 (Oliver 52, Miles 5-54) by 13 runs
Scorecard

Promotion favourites Worcestershire endured one of their worst days of the summer in the Championship when dismissed for 194 by Gloucestershire on a seaming surface at New Road. Having come into the match with a game in hand and 43 points ahead of second-placed Surrey, they are already looking at a sizeable deficit after the visitors' smooth progress to 181 for 2.

Gloucestershire briefly wobbled at the start, slipping to 43 for 2 when Will Tavare was caught in the slips off Charlie Morris' second delivery, but Gareth Roderick seized the initiative, adding a fluent and substantial half-century to five catches behind the wicket.

The South African cruised to 88 not out with 15 fours off 107 balls and so far he has put on 138 with Alex Gidman, unbeaten on 57, in cutting the gap to a mere 13 after a day when most things went right for their side.

Gloucestershire became the first county to dismiss the Division Two leaders for under 200 in a first innings this season, despite the absence of Will Gidman through injury in advance of confirmation that he will be with Nottinghamshire in 2015.

One look at a grassy first-day pitch made it a straightforward decision for Alex Gidman to field first, after taking over the captaincy when Michael Klinger rested a neck injury prior to a make-or-break fixture in the Royal London Cup. With a quarter-final spot secured this week, Gloucestershire are looking to book a home tie by winning their final Group A game against Derbyshire at Derby next Thursday.

Another objective is to improve their form in the Championship. Injuries have been a major factor and apart from the absence of the younger Gidman, the attack here is probably as strong it has been following the last-minute registration of New Zealand offspinner Mark Craig.

With the ball consistently moving about off the seam, Craig Miles led the assault on Worcestershire with 4 for 54 and the other wickets were equally shared by Liam Norwell and Benny Howell.

The batsmen could quickly see trouble ahead, when Daryl Mitchell, the leading batsman in Championship cricket, registered his first duck in a season of 1,222 runs. He was stranded in front when a delivery from Miles kept low and ducked into his pads. Miles also removed Tom Fell with the first of Roderick's dismissals, but there was hope for Worcestershire as Richard Oliver collected a dozen fours from only 46 balls in maintaining his record of a half-century in each of his four Championship appearances.

Howell finally stemmed the flow when Oliver, on 52, was added to Roderick's haul and Worcestershire quickly slipped to 112 for 5, with Alexei Kervezee lbw to Norwell for 31. The only other higher-order contribution came from Ben Cox with 25 before he, too, was caught behind the wicket.

The ninth wicket went down at 149, but infuriatingly for Gloucestershire the last pair put on 46, the biggest stand in the innings. A missed chance in the slips allowed Shaaiq Choudhry to reach 27 not out and the No. 11 Morris made his highest Championship score before falling for 24, another victim for the Roderick-Norwell combination.

Matt Mason, Worcestershire's assistant coach, said: "It was probably our most disappointing day of the season so far. We were put in and it was tough to bat early on. Richard Oliver acquitted himself well but everyone else struggled. With the ball, we were disappointing as well, if for once I can criticise the bowlers."

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Ervine, Wood revive Hampshire

Hampshire 343 for 7 (Ervine 75*, Wood 61, Smith 56) v Kent
Scorecard

Sean Ervine made the best of a placid Canterbury pitch to ease Hampshire into the driving seat on the opening day of their Championship Division Two clash with Kent.

The 31-year-old Zimbabwean scored an unbeaten 75 from 110 balls to resurrect a Hampshire innings that, at 187 for 5, had threatened to seriously underachieve. With Chris Wood adding 61 from No. 8, the visitors recovered to reach 343 for 7 at the close.

Kent marked the 100th anniversary of the start of World War I by using a 1914 half crown for the toss, which Hampshire won and chose to bat first. On a docile wicket the visiting opening pair of Jimmy Adams and Michael Carberry suffered little or no consternation in posting 71 for the first wicket.

Carberry steered a couple of his seven boundaries down through third man off thick edges, but otherwise looked untroubled until the introduction of offspinner Adam Riley, who struck with his fourth ball. Looking to whip a length delivery through midwicket, Carberry missed and was sent packing lbw for 39 but, despite a short break for rain, Hampshire were still sitting pretty at lunch on 90 for 1.

Kent regrouped in the interval and, with the first ball after the break, Mitch Claydon found the inside edge of Adams to dismiss the left-hander to an athletic take by wicketkeeper Sam Billings - the first of his four catches.

Kent made further mid-session progress when Doug Bollinger had James Vince caught at the wicket when attempting a back-foot force then Will Smith, having reached a 108-ball 50 with eight fours, played around one from Riley to go leg-before. Without addition to the total Liam Dawson nicked another catch to Billings to make it 187 for 5 but Ervine, resolute and punishing when anything short was on offer, stroked six boundaries on his way to a 59-ball 50.

Soon after posting their first batting bonus point Adam Wheater feathered one off Bollinger to give Billings another top catch and leave Kent believing they might polish the innings off in good time. Ervine had other ideas however, and he dug in together with Wood to add a workmanlike 124 for the seventh wicket inside 28.3 overs.

Wood hit six fours in his 74-ball half-century in a responsible stay in tandem with Ervine that left Kent wondering where their next wicket may come from.

It was veteran Darren Stevens who finally proved to be Kent's partnership breaker having Wood snaffled at slip by Ben Harmison to bring in Matt Coles - the former Kent allrounder - to face the handful of nervy deliveries before the close. Though Coles failed to get off the mark, he survived through to stumps with Ervine to send their side into day two of the 163rd Canterbury Cricket Week fixture with power to add.

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Davies responds to Foakes signing

Surrey 403 for 8 (Davies 147*, Solanki 93) v Leicestershire
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Steven Davies scored his second Championship century of the season and Vikram Solanki hit 93 as promotion-seeking Surrey took control of their Division Two game against bottom-of-the-table Leicestershire at Grace Road.

Put into bat on a green-looking pitch, Surrey recovered from a shaky start to post an imposing total of 403 for 8 when bad light ended play half an hour early. Davies was still there unbeaten on 147 off 168 balls having struck 22 fours off the toiling Leicestershire attack. It was a timely innings for Davies following the news that Surrey have signed Ben Foakes from Essex to add to their stockpile of wicketkeeper-batsman options

It was a boundary-laden day with a total of one six and 61 fours helping Surrey race to maximum batting points. Yet it had looked a good toss to win with conditions seemingly favouring the bowlers. And in the fourth over of the morning Nathan Buck produced the perfect delivery that swung away, found the edge of Zafar Ansari's bat and flew to Rob Taylor at third slip.

However, Leicestershire were initially unable to build on that as, despite the helpful conditions, the bowlers struggled with their lengths and a succession of half-volleys were sent flashing to the boundary by Solanki and Rory Burns, who shared a stand of 40 in six overs.

That stand was brought to an end with the score on 51 when Burns carved a catch to backward point off Charlie Shreck and when Tillakaratne Dilshan was lbw to Taylor for 8, leaving Surrey at 72 for 3, Leicestershire looked back in the game.

Not for the first time this season however, they failed to press home the advantage and Solanki and Davies joined forces in a fourth-wicket partnership of 135 in 26 overs. Solanki, who was fortunate to survive a confident lbw shout from Taylor when he had made 30, reached his half-century off 48 balls with nine fours, and with Davies also in attack mode the century stand was posted in 21 overs, 68 of the runs coming in boundaries.

Davies went to his 50 off 62 balls with 10 fours - four of them in one over off Buck - but he was dropped by Greg Smith at gully off Taylor on 61 as Leicestershire's disappointing day in the field continued. Then, out of the blue, Solanki had his stumps shattered by Taylor as he went for an expansive drive seven runs short of his century. He had faced 113 balls and hit 16 fours.

The in-form Jason Roy struck a quickfire 42 in a stand of 75 in 11 overs with Davies before dragging a ball from Ollie Freckingham back into his stumps. Gary Wilson was out for a duck but the 50th boundary of the day was struck by Gareth Batty off Buck before Davies completed his century off 114 balls with 16 fours.

Batty edged behind for 19 and Chris Tremlett hit a towering six in his knock of 22 before bad light brought a premature end to a day dominated by Surrey.

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More rain pushes back play at USACA Nationals

'Rain has been very frustrating'

Steady rain throughout Friday afternoon and evening has caused rounds three and four of the preliminary phase of the USACA T20 National Championship to be pushed back into Saturday morning. Group play was scheduled to wrap up on Friday evening, but thunderstorms have prevented more than half the games from being played over the first two days of the tournament.

The remaining matches in the group stage will now be played as 10-over games scheduled for 9 am and 11 am on Saturday morning. Weather permitting, semi-finals will take place for 2 pm and the final at 6 pm as originally scheduled. However, if weather continues to interrupt play, then the semi-finals could be scrapped with the two group winners playing in a tournament final to decide the title.

"It's not the ideal situation," Owen Grey, USACA board member and national championship tournament director, told ESPNcricinfo. "I feel bad more for the players and the regions because they really made the effort to be here, compete and have a good time. It is what it is. We just have to regroup and look into future tournaments when we schedule them."

The summer months in south Florida are considered hurricane season with bad weather and tropical storms a constant concern. Asked if the tournament should have been held in a different location at this time of year instead of the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill, Grey said that it's something USACA will take into consideration going forward.

"Looking at things and going back to the drawing board, the months of June through September is not ideal to try to conduct a tournament like this. It's a learning experience. Hindsight is 20/20 but looking at it there are other things we can take into consideration moving forward and it's something that we'll definitely evaluate."

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Anderson 'most skilful in world' - Cook

'Anderson most skilful bowler in world' - Cook

Alastair Cook has hailed James Anderson as "the most skilful bowler in the world" and the best "England have ever produced".

Anderson comes into the fifth Test of the Investec series against India requiring just seven more wickets to equal Ian Botham's England record of 383. Cook, the England captain, admitted that Anderson might not have the pace of South Africa's Dale Steyn but suggested his ability to swing the ball both ways rendered him almost as dangerous.

"He is the most skilful bowler in the world," Cook said. "There have been some very good bowlers I've played with but, for pure out-and-out skill, there is no doubt. He is the best bowler England have ever produced.

"No disrespect to Dale Steyn, but the way Jimmy can swing the ball both ways - I don't think Dale can do that quite as well as Jimmy but Dale has the advantage of being able to bowl quicker. Dale has been the No. 1 bowler in the world for quite a long time in terms of the number of wickets he takes. He always picks up wickets. And those two are in the same class.

"Anderson will soon be the leading wicket taker in Test matches for England. That is quite a glowing reference. It's an amazing achievement. If he does it in this game, it will mean England are in a very strong position.

"You saw his guts and determination last week at Manchester when he was bowling when he wasn't very well. That was extraordinary. That pretty much tells me, tells everyone, what a bloke he is and to back it up with his talent and skill means he is a very fine bowler."

Cook also confirmed that Stuart Broad would play despite sustaining a broken nose during the Manchester game.

"We think he's going to be absolutely fine," Cook said. "You don't get a partnership like he and Jimmy Anderson have had without being a world-class bowler. They've taken over 500 wickets together. Any captain would want those two in the team if possible, so it's great news for us as a team that Broady has come through that blow."

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England adapt to keep Test in balance

England 92 and 110 for 6 (Winfield 35) lead India 114 (Gunn 5-19) by 88 runs
Scorecard

Test matches are often decided by a team's ability to adapt. Bowlers who can adapt to a flattening pitch, batsmen who can adapt to a change in the attack and captains who sense when the time is right to switch from defence to offence can all change the momentum of a cricket match as it ebbs and flows in its longest form.

In 50-over cricket, there's a limited amount of time to adjust a plan. In the T20 format, there's virtually none. It is worth remembering this when considering the one-off Test between England and India. It is also worth remembering that in this calendar year only two women's Tests will have been played.

And, while England are considered to be the experienced side in this contest, it is also worth pointing out that since India played their last Test match, in 2006, England have only played five.

After being fed a regular diet of limited-overs matches the players must change their tactics, find the physical stamina to bowl long spells or bat for sessions and summon the power to concentrate for long periods at the crease and in the field.

England seemed to have adapted their approach on the second day and gave themselves a chance to establish control. Jenny Gunn made the early breakthrough to claim a well-deserved five-wicket haul while Kate Cross and Sonia Odedra finished off the India tail.

Trailing by 22 runs after posting their lowest-ever Test score against India, the England batsmen came to the crease with a more positive attitude than they had shown in their nervous and tentative first dig. In the first seven overs on the opening day the hosts had scored three runs and lost a wicket; at the same point in their second innings they were 30 for 1. Not only had they adapted their mindset, they had also learned from their mistakes, playing straighter to India's seamers.

Although Heather Knight lasted just two balls, the Jhulan Goswami delivery that claimed her wicket was at least as good as any wicket-taking ball in this match: a quick, back-of-a-length, swinging delivery on the perfect line to entice the edge. Tammy Beaumont was less convincing, leaving her bat behind her pad as she attempted to defend against the left-arm spinner Ekta Bisht ten overs later.

Lauren Winfield seemed to have adjusted best, the debutant looking confident as she compiled 35 runs. But once Mithali Raj brought spinners on from both ends after lunch, the runs dried up for Winfield and Charlotte Edwards.

Raj has proved to be a canny tactician and, after bottling England up for several overs, the India captain offered up the more tempting pace of Shikha Pandey. Winfield took the bait, pulling Pandey's first delivery to the boundary and briskly collecting four runs off the next three balls. But Winfield attempted another pull of a shorter-pitched delivery that stayed low, missing it completely and becoming yet another leg-before statistic in a match that will surely set a record for such dismissals.

Pandey bowled just one more delivery before the heavens opened and offered another test of each side's ability to adapt and sustain concentration, this time around a two-and-a-half hour rain delay.

India were the clear winner of this particular challenge, Edwards playing a forward defensive shot to Bisht's first ball after the break and somehow feathering it to the keeper. When Lydia Greenway became the 16th player to fall lbw shortly afterwards, followed by an unconvincing Nat Sciver being bowled for another single-figure score, England had lost four wickets for the addition of 11 runs.

It was hardly surprising to see England retreat into survival mode at this point. It was, however, surprising to see the diminutive Bisht, on a pitch deemed such a green seamer that England chose not to select a specialist spinner, virtually shut down the naturally aggressive Sarah Taylor and the workmanlike Gunn and finish the day with the outstanding figures of 2 for 15 off 21 overs.

Taylor, certainly, understands the challenge. "This work will be for nothing if we don't kick on tomorrow and I think me and Jen have got to be the ones to stick around and keep pushing and just accumulating," she said. "I don't think we'll be looking to take the bowlers out of the attack at all.

"My cricket's probably matched towards the T20 style of cricket but actually it was one of those battles I relished and really enjoyed."

With a precarious lead of 88, England's chances of snatching victory will largely lie with Taylor and Gunn's ability to rein in their natural instincts and continue to adapt.

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Plunket Shield schedule announced

New Zealand Cricket has released the Plunket Shield schedule for 2014-15 and has said it has locked in a format for the domestic season for the next four years. The first round of matches will be played in late October, followed by two full rounds in December, and the remainder of the competition will take place from early February onwards.

"Our major associations told us certainty of scheduling was crucial, so this season's format will be in place for the next four years," David Cooper, the general manager of domestic cricket with NZC, said. "It's a key outcome from the Domestic Cricket Review, which is all about maximising entertainment and commercial opportunities, and supporting high performance.

"Recommendations from the review will be in place this year, to capitalise on public interest in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. The Plunket Shield has been domestic cricket's most fiercely fought prize for 108 years, and is the testing ground for future Black Caps."

The schedule for New Zealand's domestic limited-overs competitions will be released in the next two weeks.

Plunket Shield 2014-15

Oct 23-26: Northern Districts v Auckland, Whangarei
Oct 25-28: Canterbury v Wellington, Christchurch
Oct 26-29: Central Districts v Otago, Napier
Dec 11-14: Wellington v Auckland, Wellington
Dec 11-14: Canterbury v Central Districts, Christchurch
Dec 11-14: Otago v Northern Districts, Dunedin
Dec 18-21: Canterbury v Otago, Rangiora
Dec 18-21: Northern Districts v Wellington, Hamilton
Dec 18-21: Auckland v Central Districts, Auckland
Feb 6-9: Wellington v Canterbury, Wellington
Feb 6-9: Auckland v Northern Districts, Auckland
Feb 6-9: Otago v Central Districts, Invercargill
Feb 15-18: Wellington v Otago, Wellington
Feb 15-18: Central Districts v Northern Districts, New Plymouth
Feb 16-19: Canterbury v Auckland, Rangiora
Feb 27-Mar 2: Northern Districts v Central Districts, Whangarei
Feb 28-Mar 3: Otago v Wellington, Queenstown
Mar 1-4: Auckland v Canterbury, Auckland
Mar 9-12: Canterbury v Northern Districts, Christchurch
Mar 9-12: Otago v Auckland, Dunedin
Mar 9-12: Wellington v Central Districts, Wellington
Mar 17-20: Central Districts v Canterbury, Nelson
Mar 17-20: Auckland v Wellington, Auckland
Mar 18-21: Northern Districts v Otago, Hamilton
Mar 25-28: Otago v Canterbury, Dunedin
Mar 25-28: Central Districts v Auckland, Napier
Mar 25-28: Wellington v Northern Districts, Wellington
Apr 1-4: Central Districts v Wellington, Napier
Apr 1-4: Northern Districts v Canterbury, Mt Maunganui
Apr 1-4: Auckland v Otago, Auckland

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Rain ruins first set of games at USACA Nationals

'Everyone's looking to make the Uganda tour' - Japen Patel

Central East Region was the big winner after lightning and rain caused the first set of games at the USACA T20 National Championship to end with no result. Central East was sent in to bat by the South East in the first game played on the main stadium wicket. They were reduced to 40 for 7 at the 13 over mark when lightning interrupted play. Legspinner Camilus Alexander had figures of 3 for 10 in three overs to put his side on a sure path to victory before they were thwarted by the weather as the teams split points.

North East Region got off to an impressive start against pre-tournament favorites New York before their match was interrupted in the 12th over. Aditya Mishra and Akil Husbands put on a 79-run stand for the first wicket. Mishra came out on top of an intriguing battle with former West Indies paceman Adam Sanford, hooking him for six on one occasion. He finished with 35 off 19 before he was stumped overbalancing on a sweep attempt against the offspin of Karan Ganesh. Husbands finished with 54 off 29, including six sixes, before falling to Rashard Marshall shortly before play stopped.

Central West rocked South West early on behind early strikes from pace bowlers Usman Shuja and Jasdeep Singh to remove both openers without scoring. Ravi Timbawala and Nisarg Patel added 68 for the third wicket to steady the South West cause. Nisarg was unbeaten on 54 off 29 balls including six sixes when the players cleared off the field with one ball to go in the 10th over. The players waited patiently after leaving the field in dry conditions following a siren alert from the lightning alarm system installed at the Central Broward Regional Park, but after 90 minutes a torrential downpour commenced and play was eventually called off for the first round of matches.

Rain and lightning continued on and off into the evening, causing the second round of matches to be postponed. They will now be played beginning at 9:30 am on Friday, with the third round starting at 1:30 pm followed by an evening slate of matches.

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India hold edge as 16 wickets tumble

India Women 87 for 6 (Gunn 4-13) trail England Women 92 (Niranjana 4-19) by five runs
Scorecard

The dawn of the fully professional era for England Women did not exactly unfold as planned.

This was expected, by many, to be a lop-sided affair between a team of full-time athletes, most with Test match experience, and a team containing eight players on Test debut. Between a side which has played two Tests in the preceding twelve months and a side which has not played a Test in eight years. Between a team which has won back-to-back Women's Ashes Series - and reached the finals of the most recent 50 over World Cup and World T20 - and a team which has slipped to seventh in the world in the shorter formats of the game.

Based on the opening day of the stand-alone Test at Wormsley, it was difficult to tell which side was which.

In fact, at one point in the afternoon, when India reached 40 without losing a wicket after bowling England out for 92 runs - their lowest ever Test total against India - it was the tourists who looked comfortable, in control and with the perfect opportunity to take a significant first innings lead.

India will undoubtedly rue the fact they squandered the chance to seriously press their advantage with the bat after their bowlers had performed so admirably. Instead of going on the offensive, India batted defensively and allowed the hosts back into the contest, losing 6 for 24 in the evening session. Thanks largely to the efforts of the excellent Jenny Gunn, who took 4 for 13 in 12 overs, the match now rests evenly poised, although India, trailing by five with four wickets in hand, still have the chance to establish a decent lead in the morning of the second day.

After Mithali Raj won the toss it was no surprise to see her elect to insert England and give her seamers the chance to bowl on a green-tinged pitch - a stark contrast to the slow wicket on offer here a year ago when England and Australia fought out a frustrating and slow-scoring draw. In the lead up to this Test the ECB asked for a more lively pitch to allow both sides to display their skills with bat and ball. They perhaps got more than they bargained for, with 16 wickets tumbling on a day when only seven players reached double figures.

The question of professionalism in the women's game must also include the location of future Tests. While the surrounds of Wormsley provide a stunningly picturesque backdrop, the remote location of the ground, the cost of travel and lack of nearby public transport must be an impediment to attracting crowds, particularly on weekdays.

As a result it is understood the ECB is considering moving future women's Tests to more accessible locations, with Lord's the likely venue for next summer's Test against Australia as part of the 2015 Women's Ashes Series.

India's opening bowlers certainly rewarded Raj's decision to field. The veteran Jhulan Goswami and Nagarajan Niranjana bowled intelligently and accurately, consistently delivering full-length outswingers that forced the England batsmen to play their shots but also regularly beat the bat.

The deliveries that jagged back were more than effective. Seduced by the balls that moved away, seven England players were trapped lbw - setting a new record for number of lbws in a women's Test innings - one was caught behind, and another was clean bowled. Only the final wicket, when Kate Cross was run out chasing a second run, which was never really on offer, provided any variation.

Although they had the advantage of greater experience, England's batsman looked somewhat nervous and uncomfortable at the crease, with the exception of Sarah Taylor, who compiled 30 runs - the highest score of the day - before she was trapped by one of Goswami's inswingers.

In contrast India's openers, Thirush Kamini and Smriti Mandhana, looked almost too comfortable - generally content to prod and defend. England had made the unusual decision not to play a specialist spinner and rely on their seamers to do the damage and, while Anya Shrubsole had two big appeals for lbw turned down in her opening over, it was not until Charlotte Edwards brought Gunn into the attack that the breakthrough was made.

Whatever happens from here, India's competitive display sends a message to the BCCI that there is talent here worthy of investment. If a semi-professional side can compete with players who now have the opportunity to train full-time together, it remains to be seen what could be achieved if central contracts were introduced to the India players.

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Tredwell spins out his other team

Kent 299 (Bell-Drummond 83, Billings 51, Arafat 4-49) beat Sussex 183 (Joyce 47, Tredwell 4-27, Claydon 3-26)
Scorecard

Kent retained their unbeaten tag in the Royal London Cup and stretched their Group B lead to four points with a hard-earned 59-run win over Sussex in a rain-affected clash at Canterbury.

A heavy shower during the break between innings coupled with a second shower early in the Sussex reply left the visitors in the driving seat when facing a revised target of 243 in 35 overs.

However, James Tredwell's seven-over stint of 4 for 27 - against the team he rejoins on County Championship loan later in the week - restored Kent's superiority and helped land a deserved fourth win, and with it, almost certainly, a home tie in the quarter finals.

Having restricted Kent to 299, the Sussex reply started uncertainly once Luke Wright fell in the seventh over. His rasping drive against Doug Bollinger picked out Ben Harmison diving to his left at cover point.

Three overs later, Chris Nash feathered a Darren Stevens away swinger to slip just moments before rain arrived for the second time sparking the loss of a further 10 overs.

After the resumption, Craig Cachopa, the young New Zealand-raised South African batsman, got his side ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis rate for the first time with a brace of fours off Darren Stevens.

Cachopa undid his good work in the next over, however, lobbing a simple catch to mid-off against offspinner Tredwell, who then trimmed the off stump of Ed Joyce as the left-hander made room to cut.

Kent pushed further ahead under Duckworth-Lewis when Calum Haggett snared Matt Machan lbw with the third ball of a new spell. Then, when Mitch Claydon returned to rearrange Ben Brown's stumps, any lingering hopes of a Sussex win evaporated.

Batting first having lost the toss, Kent would have expected to post in excess of 320 after a reasonably bright start on a parched, white pitch that appeared conducive to batting.

The hosts had 36 on the board before acting captain Sam Northeast instinctively followed and edged behind off a Lewis Hatchett leg-cutter that went down the St Lawrence.

Spitfires' second-wicket partners Daniel Bell-Drummond and Harmison repaired the damage with a no-frills stand of 69 in 13.1 overs that ended when Steffan Piolet's slower ball fooled Harmison into chipping a catch to long-off.

Fabian Cowdrey upped the run-rate tempo with an eye-catching 40, while Bell-Drummond posted his half-century from 60 balls and with four fours.

In tandem the pair added 74 in 11.1 overs before Cowdrey fell lbw when walking across his stumps and aiming to leg against Chris Liddle to make it 179 for 3.

With Bell-Drummond seemingly well established, Kent called their batting Powerplay soon after only for the young right-hander to clip the very first ball from Yasir Arafat straight to cover to go for 83.

Kent never re-established their momentum thereafter and, while looking secure in scoring ones and twos, a succession of batsmen perished when attempting anything more lavish.

Stevens was yorked when driving at Arafat, who then had Alex Blake caught on the deep cover ropes to finish with figures of 4 for 49 against his former county.

Sam Billings did his best to farm the strike in posting an unbeaten 51 off 39 balls with three fours and six, but two runs outs and two more miscues saw Kent dismissed with one ball of their innings remaining.

Billings, who has reaped 337 cup runs at an average of 168.5 - having passed 50 four times - was delighted by the win that guaranteed Kent's passage and a home quarter-final tie.

"The pitch got better as the night went on and the ball skidded on beautifully under lights, so for Sussex, it was a great toss to win, but our bowlers did superbly well to hit those difficult lengths," he said. "I felt we might have got 315 batting but, when anyone tried to accelerate they got out, and we were left having to rebuild.

"It was a hard pitch to just come in and go hard from ball one. I was happy with the way I played because I had to get in and work it around before I pushed on.

"The great thing is we won tonight, yet we might have been better in all facets of the game. We've got that improvement to come so, although we're a young team, we feel we can take on anyone right now.''

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