Kent Spitfires welcome their cross-Thames rivals Essex to the St Lawrence Ground in Canterbury for a Friday night under lights in the Vitality Blast this Friday, 29 May.
Get your Battle of the Bridge tickets now
Prices rise at 11:59pm the day before the match.
Entry is INCLUDED in all Kent Memberships, White Ball Passes & Youth/Junior Season Tickets!
What can I expect at the St Lawrence Ground during the Vitality Blast?
All-action Vitality Blast T20 cricket isn’t just about fireworks on the field – expect pumping music, t-shirt giveaways in our Vitality scatterblasts, an interval challenge and much more.
Enjoy a food village, multiple public bars, and high octane atmosphere!
Don’t forget – you can meet the Kent Spitfires and get autographs and selfies with your favourite Kent players at our special autograph sessions at the end of every home Vitality Blast fixture this Summer.
Before the match head to our giveaway stations to pick up your matchday essentials! Autograph sheets, 4/6 cards, Vitality Blast furry headbands and FanKlappers – perfect for supporting your team, making some noise and celebrating every moment.
Get your Battle of the Bridge tickets now
Prices rise at 11:59pm the day before the match.
Entry is INCLUDED in all Kent Memberships, White Ball Passes & Youth/Junior Season Tickets!
Matchday Information
We strongly advise that all Members & spectators travelling to the ground make use of public transport.
Important matchday information for Members, White Ball Pass/Youth & Junior Season Ticket holders & those that have purchased matchday tickets can be accessed via the button below:
View Matchday Information
We strongly advise that all Members & spectators travelling to the ground make use of public transport.
The St Lawrence Ground is located approximately 1.5 miles (33 minute walk) from Canterbury West station and 1 mile (20 minute walk) from Canterbury East station.
Situated approximately a 10 – 15 minute walk from the ground, parking is available at New Dover Road Park & Ride, operated by Canterbury City Council.
Park & Ride information [via Canterbury City Council]
Take the train to Canterbury for Vitality Blast matches with Southeastern
Last Time Out
A wonderful 75 by Zak Crawley helped the Kent Spitfires to a seven-wicket win over Sussex in a high-scoring, if controversial, Vitality Blast game at Canterbury.
View video scorecard
Crawley was on 53 when Sussex’s Tom Clark claimed he’d caught him off Tymal Mills in the 17th. Crawley refused to walk, was given not out by the umpires and then hit three sixes in the 18th over to take Kent to the brink of victory.
Clark had earlier made a blistering 79 from 29 deliveries, including six sixes and nine fours, but after racing to 122 for one at halfway, Sussex slowed drastically in the second half of the innings, with South African all-rounder Dian Forrester took three for 25 on his Kent debut.
Forrester then sealed a stellar debut by hitting the winning runs with 10 balls to spare, creaming Mills for four.
Opposition Report
Previewed by Martin Smith, ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay
- Captain: Simon Harmer
- Overseas players: Simon Harmer (South Africa, all), Wiaan Mulder (South Africa, first six games)
- Finals Day appearances: Six (2006, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2019, 2023)
- Titles: One (2019)
- 2025 finish: 9th in South Group
- 2025 leading runscorer: Michael Pepper (364)
- 2025 leading wicket-taker: Mohammad Amir (20)
With wicketkeeper-batsman Adam Rossington not re-engaged after his T20-only contract did not work out, South African all-rounder Wiaan Mulder is the only addition to Essex’s Vitality Blast squad. Mulder’s most recent international T20 caps came as recently as March in New Zealand, and with approaching 150 appearances in the format, he should prove an asset in the early matches.
What will Jordan Cox have learnt from the IPL where he largely watched from the substitutes’ bench with Royal Challengers Bangalore rather than performing in the middle alongside Virat Kohli? Cox topped the Essex batting averages last season – 10 runs ahead of anyone else – and scored a memorable century against Hampshire. Can he do it again?
Wildcard watch: Luc Benkenstein. Leg-spinners are worth their weight in gold in white-ball cricket as Benkenstein showed in last year’s Blast where his 11 wickets earnt him a share of second place in the Essex wicket-taking list alongside Simon Harmer – and with a significantly superior average than his captain. Despite being only 21, he has T20 experience and temperament.
Things can only get better for Essex. They won only three games last season, two of them late on with nothing at stake, to finish bottom of the South Group. The year before they were only edged out of a top-four place on run-rate, and in 2023 were beaten finalists. With their younger players a year more experienced, maybe an improved level of consistency can be expected to reverse the downward trend.
Live Match Centre
Kent Spitfires vs. Essex will be live streamed for free on Kent Cricket’s Official YouTube Channel thanks to the Club’s Official Live Stream Partner, Cluberly.
The enhanced live T20 stream, hosted by former Kent Captain David Fulton, will also be embedded into the Match Centre of the Kent Cricket website:
View Match Centre
Team News
A squad for this match will be confirmed in due course.
Friday Night T20s are back this week!
Kent Spitfires take on Essex in the Battle of the Bridge this coming Friday, 29 May, with two other Friday Nights under lights at the St Lawrence Ground this June & July.
Save on gate prices by buying your tickets early:
