JUSTIN KEMP and Darren Stevens rewarded the heroic efforts of Dave Tankard and his ground staff at the Nevill Ground yesterday with an entertaining display of power hitting.

Two heavy squalls threatened to wash away a match that had already begun 15 minutes late because of overnight cloud-bursts.

At that point, Kent were 41 without loss from six overs but, remarkably, the ground was made fit for play once more from 3.40pm and, in a contest reduced to 23 overs per side, Stevens surged to his half-century with three leg-side sixes off André Botha. When he was stumped, for a 45-ball 59, spectators were treated to a violent 57 from 33 balls by Kemp.

Warming up by launching John Mooney straight and out of the ground, Kemp scythed four sixes off Shahid Afridi, making his last Ireland appearance before joining Pakistan’s pre-tour training camp, and another maximum off Saqlain Mushtaq.

Ireland, losing five wickets in as many overs, were down and out long before a final deluge.