Last-gasp Kent taste final glory

Amid controversy, dissent and the usual splendidly irrelevant sideshows that accompany Twenty20 cricket, Kent became champions for the first time last night. They sneaked home in the final over of a thriller, just nosing past Gloucestershire who for several overs seemed to have done enough to win.

The margin was four wickets. Darren Stevens hit the fourth ball of Carl Greenidge's over through extra cover for four. Since it was a no ball, this made it worth six, enough to make Kent champions.

It had been a near and contentious thing. Kent's captain, Robert Key, normally the most unruffled of men, took his time leaving the field after he was adjudged to have been caught by Hamish Marshall at mid-wicket at the start of Kent's chase and threw his bat. It was pretty unsavoury whatever the merits of the decision and it rather overshadowed the first hat-trick in a final.

This was taken by the South African, Ryan McLaren, and seemed at the time to have completely undermined Gloucester-shire's challenge. However, they are made of stern stuff.

The only certain thing at the start of proceedings was that there would be a new name on the cup. The only slightly less certain thing was that it would be either Lancashire or Sussex, the teams of all the stars.

In the event, neither made it, being jettisoned by the more unsung duo. Gloucestershire had qualified from their semifinal at a canter as Lancashire defied their odds. Kent, with Key batting splendidly, were eventually made to work somewhat harder by Sussex who sustained their reputation for not giving up on apparently lost causes.

It was mildly surprising that Key chose to field in the final on winning the toss. The sun was low, the floodlights may help the ball to swing later in the evening, went the thinking. But Key was impressive for most, though not all of the day.

His usual reluctance to become excited helps, not least in the frenetic atmosphere generated in Twenty20. Key usually gives the impression that he would get flustered only in extremely dire circumstances, say if somebody nicked a chip from his plate or if he was especially unhappy at an umpire's decision in a tight final.

The latter unfortunately happened, though the jibe about his portliness is probably unfair these days. He is not perhaps at his leanest but he is as near to athletic as his robust frame will allow him to be, effecting a marvellous run, pick up and throw which led to a run out in the semifinal.

He led his troops with aplomb, waving like an old-fashioned bobby on point duty but he did it with the air of a man for whom there was no rush as long as the traffic got through eventually. Gloucestershire lost early wickets in a rush. That they also kept the scoring rate high was a minor consolation. Craig Spearman chased a wide one, Kadeer Ali drove high to mid-on, Chris Taylor was nailed in his crease by one holding its own, Alex Gidman was run out neatly as he desperately tried to scramble a single.

It was up pretty much to Marshall. Since he has given up on New Zealand, via the good offices of the Kolpak legislation, he is obviously ready to meet the challenge. For a while he eschewed boundaries because he recognised only he stood between his side and disaster.

He had only just begun to play big shots again when he became the first victim of McLaren's hat-trick, chopping on from a bottom edge. Steve Adshead, whose off stump was trimmed, and Ian Fisher, who was leg before, were the other victims and Gloucestershire were 111 for 7. Had Nelson ever done its work so grimly. Some belated blows by Mark Hardinges and Jonathan Lewis took Gloucestershire to something they might have a chance of defending.

Kent had fielded alertly once more, their less obviously mobile fielders being skilfully pos-tioned and the feeling was that 146 would not be enough. The first-innings totals on the glued pitch had been remarkably similar: 148, 140 and 146.

It said something about conditions but also suggested at a mere seven or so runs an over that the bat does not have it all its own way. Mind you, ruminating about seven an over being pedestrian demonstrates how the game has changed.

Kent started at pace with Key and Joe Denly clearly aiming to reduce the rate to under a run a ball after which it would have been a fairly low-risk pursuit. They had reached 32 midway through the fourth over so were going along jolly nicely when Key clipped Greenidge to mid wicket where Marshall, diving forward, claimed a catch.

Neil Mallender, the square leg umpire who was barely five yards away, concurred that it was a catch. While television replays hinted that it might not have been as clean as a whistle, that should have been that.

Instead Key sauntered off, was persuaded by his colleagues in the dugout that he should not leave the field and looked generally displeased before throwing his bat to the ground. Fortunately Key has an engaging personality and reckoned later that this exhibition could easily cost him in fines the [pound]500 he won for being man of the semi-final.