Kent bat first in heavyweight final

Kent won the toss and chose to bat against Essex Live scorecard A domestic Lord's final used to be the showpiece occasion of the season and the highlight of many county cricketers' career. However, Twenty20 has rapidly changed the landscape and the rewards on offer for Kent and Essex in the Friends Provident final are dwarfed by those of the shortest format. There are no million-dollar prizes or trips to Antigua to be won. Both sides are stuffed with batting talent, however, and it has all the makings of a classic final. Both sides have shown impressive one-day form this year, with Kent reaching the final of the Twenty20 Cup. It was Kent who ousted Essex from that competition in the semi-final, but Essex contain a formidable batting line-up, led by the prolific Ravi Bopara. With 492 runs in the competition - helped by that... [read full story]