Live: Kent Spitfires v Yorkshire Men, MBODC
Good morning from the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, Canterbury. It's Yorkshire's final Group B fixture against Kent Spitfires today. They will be looking to dot the i's and cross the t's on a home semi-final on Sunday. Follow our blog for live updates throughout the day.
YORKSHIRE WIN!!!
Yorkshire win by 76 runs, and Matthew Firbank takes the winning wicket – his first in first-team cricket.
Mo Rizvi caught at deep mid-wicket by Adam Lyth, with Kent 225 all out.
Yorkshire top the group with seven wins from eight games, and top Group B in the process.
The club will be confirming ticket details for Sunday’s semi-final at Scarborough this evening.
The start time will be 11am and not 12pm.
Kent 215-9, 42 overs
Fred Klaassen bowled Dom Bess, 0.
Bess has four wickets.
Kent 215-8, 41.3 overs
Harry Finch bowled Dom Bess, 32.
Off-spinner Bess has taken his third wicket.
Kent still need 87.
Kent 206-7, 39.2 overs
Corey Flintoff bowled Adam Lyth, 13.
Bowled sweeping, leg-stump out of the ground.
Yorkshire closing in on another win as Kent pursue 302.
Kent 174-6, 33.2 overs
Ekansh Singh caught Noah Kelly bowled George Hill, 71.
Skewed high to backward point, where Kelly – back on the field as sub – takes another catch. This one was much simpler than his first.
With Kent chasing 302, Yorkshire have this game by the throat now.
Kent, 164-5, 30.5 overs
Joe Denly caught Dom Bess bowled Dan Moriarty, 2.
Lofted to long-off, where the skipper takes a comfortable catch.
Kent were going nicely, but the loss of two quick wickets has really pegged them back.
Hang on, make that three quick wickets.
Moriarty is on a hat-trick.
Olly Curtiss has been trapped lbw for a golden duck.
Kent 157-3, 28.2 overs
Chris Benjamin caught Noah Kelly bowled Dom Bess, 11.
Brilliant juggling catch on the boundary rope by substitute fielder Kelly as he successfully stays inside the rope.
Kelly was only briefly on the field for Adam Lyth, but he’s helped keep Yorkshire in the game. Superb.
Ben Cliff celebrates the early wicket of Ben Dawkins.
Kent are currently 156-2 in the 29th over, with Ekansh Singh 63 and Chris Benjamin 11.
Picture: Kent Cricket.
Singh 50
Ekansh Singh continues his good day, adding a run-a-ball fifty to three wickets.
Kent 136-2 after 25 overs chasing 302.
Kent 122-2, 22.3 overs
Jaydn Denly caught Imam-Ul-Haq bowled Dom Bess, 79.
Caught at cover off a miscue as he looked to go over the top against Bess.
Kent chasing 302, and Yorkshire needed that wicket.
Kent 106-1, 20th over
Jaydn Denly has 73 and Ekansh Singh 30.
Yorkshire could do with a wicket here as they defend 302.
Spin from both ends at present, with Dom Bess and Dan Moriarty in tandem.
Kent 72-1, 15th over
Kent have made a confident start in pursuit of 302, with Jaydn Denly on 49.
Dan Moriarty is bowling the ongoing 15th over.
And Denly has just reached his fifty off 54 balls. Kent now 72-1.
Firbank into the attack
Kent are 44-1 in the 10th over chasing 302.
Jaydn Denly has 40 of them.
Matthew Firbank is bowling his first over – tall, hit-the-pitch, good pace.
Kent 25-1, 5.1 overs
Ben Dawkins caught Adam Lyth bowled Ben Cliff, 1.
Miscued head high to cover, where Lyth takes a simple catch.
Yorkshire strike with the new ball in their defence of 302.
Ekansh Singh is in now alongside Jaydn Denly, 23.
Kent 16-0, 4th over
The hosts have made a steady start to their chase, with George Hill and Ben Cliff sharing the new ball.
There isn’t anything happening elsewhere to harm Yorkshire’s chances of a home semi-final.
Yorkshire defending 302
Ben Dawkins and Jaydn Denly are opening the batting for Kent.
George Hill has the new ball.
James Wharton celebrates reaching his century at Canterbury today.
Picture: Kent Cricket.
Meanwhile, there’s a little bit of rain in the air at Canterbury as we prepare to start Yorkshire’s defence of 302.
Yorkshire 301-9, 50 overs
Ben Cliff has just clobbered a couple of late boundaries to elevate Yorkshire above 300.
A total which perhaps isn’t as big as it could have been still leaves the White Rose in good order at the halfway point.
Yorkshire 292-9, 49.2 overs
James Wharton caught behind Harry Finch bowled Fred Klaassen, 118.
A superb innings ends caught behind off a top-edged pull, and Matthew Firbank is in at number 11 on debut.
Yorkshire 277-8, 47.3 overs
Dan Moriarty caught behind Harry Finch bowled Fred Klaassen, 1.
Caught behind off a top-edged pull.
James Wharton remains unbeaten on 108.
Yorkshire 273-7, 46.2 overs
Dom Bess caught and bowled Ekansh Singh, 4.
Singh’s seam has accounted for a third wicket.
Dan Moriarty in now.
HUNDRED!!!
James Wharton has reached his maiden List A century and his first in all formats in 2025.
Brilliant.
Wharton has reached his century off 94 balls with 11x4s.
Yorkshire 267-6 in the 46th over.
Picture: Kent Cricket.
Yorkshire 255-6, 44.3 overs
Harry Duke caught behind Harry Finch bowled Ekansh Singh, 4.
Duke falls in the search for quick runs.
James Wharton has 94 and is joined by his captain Dom Bess.
Yorkshire 242-5, 42.3 overs
George Hill caught Jaydn Denly bowled Fred Klaassen, 7.
Miscued to mid-off.
Harry Duke in now.
Yorkshire 233-4, 40.5 overs
Fin Bean run out Olly Curtiss, 39.
That ends a partnership of 101 with James Wharton, who has 82.
Bean is run out coming back for two to deep mid-wicket at the non-striker’s end.
George Hill in now.
Wharton 50
James Wharton reaches a well-made fifty off 64 balls with 4x4s, helping Yorkshire to 179-3 in the 36th over.
Picture: Kent Cricket.
Yorkshire 170-3, 34th over
James Wharton has 47 and Fin Bean 17.
Yorkshire 133-3, 27.1 overs
Imam-Ul-Haq lbw Ekansh Singh, 70.
Would you believe it!
Moments after that last update, Imam falls to Singh’s bustling seam.
Fin Bean in alongside James Wharton now. He has 28.
Yorkshier 133-2, 27th over
Imam-Ul-Haq 60 and James Wharton 28.
Yorkshire have settled following the loss of two quick wickets and are back on course for 300 plus.
Imam 50
Imam-Ul-Haq has reached another fifty, off 55 balls with 7x4s.
He’s taken Yorkshire to 103-2 in the 21st over. Super stuff.
Picture: Kent Cricket.
Yorkshire 71-2, 16.1 overs
Will Bennison bowled Mo Rizvi, 0.
Bowled pulling at a ball which didn’t get up as much as he thought against a googly.
James Wharton in now alongside Imam-Ul-Haq, who has 39.
Yorkshire 71-1, 15.2 overs
Adam Lyth bowled Corey Flintoff, 28.
Off-stump out of the ground, angled back into Lyth from around the wicket
Will Bennison in now alongside Imam-Ul-Haq, who has 37.
Yorkshire continue to thrive
This looks a good pitch here, full of runs.
Yorkshire are 70-0 in the 15th over, with Imam-Ul-Haq 37 and Adam Lyth 28.
Yorkshire start well
Adam Lyth and Imam-Ul-Haq have taken Yorkshire to 54-0 in the ninth over.
Lyth has 20 and Imam 29.
Excellent start for the White Rose.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com.
Lyth finds his range
Adam Lyth has taken three boundaries off Mikey Cohen’s left-arm seam in the third over, which included two wides and went for 14.
He has 15 off 26-0.
Yorkshire 12-0, 2 overs
A couple of early boundaries for Imam-Ul-Haq to get Yorkshire up and running against new-ball duo Fred Klaassen and Mikey Cohen.
All set at Canterbury
Yorkshire’s openers Adam Lyth and Imam-Ul-Haq head to the crease.
The sun is out now, and it’s a lovely day in the South East.
Today’s other Yorkshire debutant, Matthew Firbank.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWPix.com.
Yorkshire win toss and bat
Yorkshire: Adam Lyth, Imam-Ul-Haq, Will Bennison, James Wharton, Fin Bean, Harry Duke w, George Hill, Dom Bess c, Matthew Firbank, Dan Moriarty, Ben Cliff.
First-team debuts for Will Bennison and Matthew Firbank, who have recently signed rookie pro contracts at Headingley.
They have come in for Matthew Revis, who is back with the Northern Superchargers, and Matt Milnes.
Picture by YCCC. Will Bennison.
Good morning...
From Canterbury, where it’s a warm day with hazy sunshine ahead of our final round Group B clash with Kent Spitfires, starting at 11am.
Yorkshire are aiming for win number seven out of eight games in the group and are pretty much assured of finishing top whatever happens here and elsewhere.
We can start planning for a home semi-final at Scarborough on Sunday.
Yorkshire are ending a four-day road trip today which included a victory over Sussex Sharks at Hove on Sunday, successfully chasing 285.
Kent-bound Matt Milnes took 7-38 including in a hat-trick on Sunday before another Imam-Ul-Haq century – 106 – led the chase.
Kent are out of knockout contention having only won two of their seven games to date.
You can read our preview for today, with Imam, via the link above.
Enjoy the day.
