Northamptonshire Crush Kent by Nine Wickets

India's Yuzvendra Chahal made an immediate impact on his debut for Northamptonshire in the Metro Bank Cup, leading the Steelbacks to a dominant nine-wicket win over Kent Spitfires at Canterbury.

Chahal, whose signing was finalised just an hour before play began, delivered a brilliant spell, taking 5 for 14 in 10 unbroken overs, as Kent crumbled to a mere 82 runs in 35.1 overs.

Justin Broad also impressed, taking 3 for 16, while Kent's top scorer, Jaydn Denly, managed just 22 runs.

Northamptonshire needed only 14 overs to chase down the modest target, with James Sales remaining unbeaten on 32 and George Bartlett not out on 31, guiding the visitors to victory with 216 balls to spare.

Despite neither team being in contention for the knockout stages, a sizable crowd of around 2,300 spectators gathered at the Spitfire Ground.

Kent won the toss and chose to bat, a decision they quickly regretted. Both openers fell cheaply: Broad had Marcus O'Riordan caught at first slip by Prithvi Shaw for 5, and Luke Procter bowled Joey Evison for 1.

Sunday's centurion, Harry Finch, was dismissed for 7, edging Broad behind, and captain Jack Leaning followed for 2, edging Procter to Gus Miller at second slip, leaving Kent struggling at 15 for 4.

Denly, who was on 8, was nearly out when Chahal dropped a straightforward caught-and-bowled chance, but Chahal immediately made amends by having Ekansh Singh stumped for 10.

Chahal, who had played two red-ball games for Kent in 2023, then trapped both Denly and Beyers Swanepoel lbw in the same over for 22 and 0, respectively.

When Chahal had Grant Stewart caught by Shaw for 1, Kent were teetering at 52 for 8 and in danger of recording their lowest-ever List A total, previously 60 against Somerset at Taunton in 1979. Matt Parkinson managed to push them past that mark with a single, earning a smattering of applause, but Nathan Gilchrist was soon caught at long-off by Raphael Weatherall after lofting Chahal high into the air.

Parkinson briefly lifted spirits with a six off Freddie Heldreich, but Broad returned to dismiss George Garrett, caught by Shaw, to bowl Kent out for their fourth-lowest score in this format.

The chase was straightforward, with Northants losing Shaw for 17, caught and bowled by a juggling Swanepoel, but Sales and Bartlett comfortably guided their team to the target. Bartlett sealed the win by launching Parkinson for six over cow corner.