6 BLAKE SUPERIOR 71 (30) Alex Blake blasted an incredible 71 o! 30 balls to power Kent Spitfires to victory over Hampshire when the game seemed lost.

Joining captain Sam Northeast at 70-5 in the 11th over, a run-rate of 10.3 was required for victory. Chris Wood and Danny Briggs were both put to the sword before Blake took apart T20 veteran Yasir Arafat, hitting him for four and six.

Suddenly only 19 runs were needed, and Blake took just eight balls to finish the job, hitting 13 o! Wood’s over, another four o! Arafat and then a final, glorious six over mid-wicket.

7 SAVVY RAVI 81* (53) Ever the stylist, Ravi Bopara breathed life into Essex Eagles’ campaign with an exquisite 81 o! 53 balls which steered them to a five-wicket win over Glamorgan.

Ravi was on top form and Craig Meschede, Graham Wagg and Michael Hogan all struggled to contain him. The Essex man finished it o! in brilliant style, hammering two sixes o! the bowling of Ruaidhri Smith to seal victory.

8 STIRLING POUNDS 90 (50) Middlesex’s pocket top-order puncher Paul Stirling delivered an early knockout against Kent at Lord’s, smashing a match-shaping 90 from just 50 balls. He hit four massive sixes in a 31-ball half-century, taking a particular shine to o"e Adam Riley, whose first over went for 21. Stirling’s knock – which included seven sixes and six fours – set up a 115-run win for the home team.

9 WINNER, WINNER, MICHAEL KLINGER 126* (68) Michael Klinger unleashed carnage at the County Ground in Bristol, pummelling a career-best 126 from 68 balls to lead Gloucestershire to a

34-run win over Essex Eagles.Incredibly, the 34-year-old Australian

was dropped three times, on 44, 46 and 52, but the luck went his way and allowed him to record Gloucestershire’s highest-ever T20 score.

Reece Topley was the first to go the distance before countryman Shaun Tait was dispatched for six and four. Eagles allrounder Graham Napier, himself a big-hitter, was the real victim though, as Klinger hit six sixes o! his last two overs to take Gloucestershire to victory.

FRANKLIN, MY DEAR, KENT NEVER STOOD A CHANCE 5-21 Kiwi allrounder James Franklin has been an inspired overseas signing for Middlesex and at Lord’s at the end of May he blew Kent away with the ball, recording the ridiculous figures of 5-21. He came on in the ninth over with Kent on 56-2 and four overs later it was 78-7 –#five wickets to his name. Game over.

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