NORTH SOUND, Antigua, CMC – Joe Deny missed out on three figures as Kent coasted to their third win on the trot with a comfortable 27-run victory over USA Cricket here Thursday.
Sent in at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in the Group B affair of the Regional Super50, Kent rattled up 215 for nine off their 50 overs, with the experienced Denly top-scoring with 96 from 109 deliveries.
Zak Crawley supported with 27 while Will Gidman and Adam Rouse both chipped in with 22 apiece.
In reply, USA were restricted to 186 for nine of their 50 overs with captain Ibrahim Khaleel leading his side’s batting effort with 61 off 114 balls.
Opener Jaskaran Malhotra with 28 was the only other batsman to pass 20 as USA lost wickets at vital times to watch their run chase slowly fizzle out.
He punched five fours in a brisk 32-ball knock, dominating a 35-run second wicket stand with Sunny Sohal (7) which pulled the Americans around from 19 for one in the fifth over.
However, both Malhotra and Sohal perished in successive overs with two runs added to leave USA on 56 for three in the 14th over.
It was left to Khaleel and Timil Patel (19) to add 64 for the fourth wicket and dig USA out of trouble, taking them past the 100-run mark.
Khaleel struck five fours but was one of six wickets to fall for 56 runs as off-spinner Adam Riley (3-36) and left-arm spinner Imran Qayyum (2-40) triggered a collapse.
Denly had earlier taken the headlines as he held the innings together in a knock which contained 10 fours.
With the English county struggling on 22 for two in the 10th over, Denly posted 52 for the third wicket with Crawley, 42 for the fifth with Gidman before adding 79 for the sixth wicket with Rouse.
Roy Silva was the best bowler with three for 42 while fellow seamer Elmore Hutchinson picked up two for 33.
Kent have not lost since their opening match of the tournament.
