Kent v Hampshire: Scores & match report

Match scores

Hampshire win by 6 wickets 

Kent inns (49.4 overs): 258 all out (Stevens 60, Dell-Drummond 56; Topley 3-65)

Hampshire inns (45.1 overs): 260-4 (Alsop 112 no, Vince 69; Claydon 2-51)

Match report

Hampshire's Tom Alsop hit an unbeaten century to send Kent Spitfires crashing to an emphatic six-wicket defeat in their Royal London One-Day Cup opener at Canterbury.

Hampshire recovered from a patchy start to their bowling display to go on to dominate the last two-thirds of the match with opening batsman Alsop seeing his side home with 112.

In pursuit of 259 for victory, Hampshire made a disastrous start in losing Michael Carberry lbw to Wayne Parnell's second delivery of the first and only maiden of the match.

Matt Coles offered nothing like the same consistency at the Pavilion End though and, after conceding 35 runs in his first four wicketless overs, was replaced as Hampshire's second-wicket partners Alsop and James Vince bolted, adding 112 in 16 overs.

Vince's 50-ball stay for a majestic 69 ended when he worked across one from Darren Stevens to be sent packing lbw, but Alsop became the game's fourth half-century maker.

Mitch Claydon jagged one down the slope and through the gate to clip Liam Dawson's leg stump, then the same bowler found the leading edge of Jimmy Adams' bat for a looping catch to mid-off.

It proved a false dawn under the floodlights, however, as Alsop teamed up with Sean Ervine (33 not out) to add an unbroken 82 for the fifth wicket and ease their side to victory with 29 balls to spare.

Kent's veteran all-rounder Stevens had earlier top scored with 60 to spare his side's batting blushes after they had threatened to waste a promising start.

The all-rounder, who turns 41 on Sunday, hit three sixes and a brace of fours to ensure the hosts posted 258 after being invited to bat first.

Spitfires laid decent foundations through Joe Denly (45) and Daniel Bell-Drummond (56), whose first-wicket stand of 94 in 15.2 overs ended when Denly miscued to mid-on against left-arm spinner Dawson.

On a slightly two-paced pitch, Kent's innings tailed off meekly thereafter with only Stevens providing any form of prolonged resistance.

Sean Dickson cut a short one to cover point then, after reaching his fifty, Bell-Drummond followed suit by flat-batting low to a diving Chris Wood at cover.

Kent wickets continued to fall as Sam Northeast chipped to midwicket and Alex Blake played across the line to depart lbw.

Parnell pushed inside the line of a Reece Topley leg-cutter that held its line to trim off stump, then Adam Rouse departed lbw after moving across his stumps to work to leg.

Stevens marched to his 46th List A half-century on his 294th appearance in the format, reaching the milestone from 49 balls.

Coles smeared across one from Dawson to be bowled before Stevens, after another straight six, miscued to extra cover off a leading edge against Topley.

James Tredwell and last man Claydon saw it through to the 50th over before Claydon heaved to midwicket to give Topley figures of three for 65. Ian Holland, Dawson and Mason Crane bagged two wickets apiece.