Durham clinches nail-biter against Kent to keep playoff hopes alive

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Ben McKinney struck his maiden professional century

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Durham 307 (McKinney 115, Denly 3-15) beat Kent 300 for 9 (Finch 104, Drissell 4-38) by seven runs

Durham pulled off a sensational win in the Metro Bank Cup on Sunday, beating the Kent Spitfires by seven runs in a thriller at CanterburyKent seemed to be cruising to victory after a regal 104 from Harry Finch, but the Spitfires collapsed from 223 for 3 and finished on 300 for 9, with George Drissell taking 4 for 38.

Finch's 91-ball knock included a six and 13 four and he put on 183 for the third wicket with Jack Leaning, who made 81, but Kent then lost six wickets for 71, leaving Colin Ackermann to successfully defend 17 off the final over.

Earlier Ben McKinney hit a superb century as Durham were all out for 307 from exactly 50 overs. McKinney's 115 came from 116 balls and included three sixes and 13 fours. Bas de Leede was the next highest scorer with 47.

Jaydn Denly had the best figures of Kent's nine bowlers with 3 for 15 and Marcus O'Riordan took three for 36. The result keeps Durham in contention for the knock-out stages, but Kent have been eliminated.

Durham won the toss and chose to bowl on a sub-tropical day at The Spitfire Ground, watched by a crowd of 2,487. Beyers Swanepoel bowled Michael Jones middle stump for 12 but McKinney and Alex Lees responded with a stand of 87 that ended when the latter was lbw to Charlie Stobo for 35.

Matt Parkinson removed Ackermann with his second ball, caught by Jack Leaning for seven but McKinney played with elegance and brutality, offering only the occasional half-chance. He nudged Marcus O'Riordan through midwicket to reach three figures then dumped Parkinson for a six that landed in the Old Dover Road gardens.

He finally went when he was caught by Stobo trying to reverse sweep O'Riordan, who then took two wickets in four balls in the 40th over. He trapped Scott Borthwick lbw for 35 before getting Neil Wagner caught by Joey Evison for one at mid-off.

De Leede and Haydon Mustard quickly wrestled back control. Mustard was on eight when he skied O'Riordan, but a dazzled Grant Stewart couldn't pick out a ball that landed a foot in front of him and Parkinson's next over, the 45th, went for 19.

Mustard had made 35 when he was lbw to Jaydn Denly and Stewart then put down a caught and bowled chance when De Leede was on 45, before getting him caught on the boundary by Joey Evison. Denly then bowled George Drissell for six and had Johnny Bushnell caught by Swanepoel off the final ball of the innings.

Wagner struck early to get O'Riordan caught behind for 11 and although Evison then hit Wagner for three successive fours, he went for 28, caught behind off de Leede, before Finch and Leaning responded with what looked like a match-turning partnership. Finch reached his hundred by hitting Borthwick back over his head for his first six but he fell four short of his best List A score when he cut Wagner to Ackermann.

When Drissell bowled Leaning and then had Grant Stewart lbw for three nerves began to set in and Swanepoel was lbw to Ackermann. Denly skied Ackermann next ball and although Jones dropped a simple catch, Denly was lbw to Ackermann's next delivery.

Parkinson drove Drissell to Jones and the run rate soared, leaving Kent needing 17 from Ackermann's final over. The first was a dot, Stobo scrambled two off the second and was run out by Bushnell off the third, chasing a second. When Garrett could only mange two off the next two balls, Kent's fate was sealed.