Cox has a Blast to win T20 title for Kent

JORDAN COX enjoyed a night to remember both with bat and in the field to help Kent to the Vitality Blast title — their first silverware since 2007.

The 20-year-old struck an unbeaten 58 with some audacious hitting but nothing could match the astonishing piece of fielding that sucked the wind from Somerset’s sail.

It came when, with 74 required from 39 balls, Somerset captain Lewis Gregory towered a blow over midwicket off the veteran all-rounder Darren Stevens and watched in disbelief — along with 24,000 others at Edgbaston — as Cox launched himself beyond the rope in front of the Eric Hollies Stand and slapped the ball into the palms of the grateful Matt Milnes inside it. It was the game’s sliding doors moment. Instead of reaching three figures, Somerset were reduced to 94 for six as pace off the ball from Kent proved key. The leg-spinners Joe Denly and Qais Ahmad shared five wickets.

In a final as enthralling as any in the competition’s 19-year history, Kent were hard done by a quarter of an hour earlier when Cox was denied a catch by a controversial umpiring decision. It appeared the catch had been taken before Daniel Bell-Drummond collided into him and touched the rope. But after consultation with the third umpire, the on-field official Mike Burns signalled six to Will Smeed. It was an odd decision as there had been no intent from the diving BellDrummond to aid his team-mate to complete the dismissal.

It did not prove costly, however, as three balls later another smite into the deep by Smeed off Denly was swallowed by who else but Cox.

Spin stymied the scoring rate of Kent who, after being invited to bat, cruised to 44 without loss.

Bell-Drummond had just made it to an even 100 runs for the day, making him the most prolific English batter in the process, when he swept hard to midwicket off Roelof van der Merwe, whose combined figures of 8-0-46-4 with fellow slow left-armer Lewis Goldsworthy suggested Kent were on course for the lowest total of another joyous occasion at Edgbaston.

Sam Billings’ side were cute, though, absorbing that period of pressure before unleashing an assault late on inspired by the ferocious blade of Cox.

In all, 49 were taken from the final three overs, with Cox following a third six — a flat one over long leg, that brought up his 26-ball 50 — with two further muscular boundaries off the final two deliveries.