The fact that a rousing rendition of the United Kingdom’s national anthem commenced the second One-Day Cup Final at Trent Bridge would, perhaps, have been a long-planned and hardly surprising turn of events.

That the lyrics have substantially changed as the national landscape has undergone tumultuous upheaval in the last fortnight was, even understatedly, the distinct opposite.

Yet, as soprano Lizzie Jones serenaded Kent and Lancashire onto the Trent Bridge turf with the first public performance of God Save The King at our venue in more than 70 years, those in attendance were reminded of sport’s powerful ability to heal.

The nation may still be mourning Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, but as the Spitfires and the Red Rose played out a high-quality, competitive showpiece that ended in the former being crowned champions, the thousands watching on were able to enjoy their time witnessing a thriller in the Nottingham sun.

While the weather inevitably influences the quality of the cricket on offer, it was fortuitous for the final that the sunlight poked through ahead of play commencing and remained in place all day, with runs the only thing to soak Trent Bridge.

For Kent, Joey Evison and Joe Denly were the half-centurions in their ultimately victorious total of 306/6 as Tom Bailey and Liam Hurt picked up two wickets apiece.

For Lancashire’s efforts, read Keaton Jennings and Steven Croft, who both manufactured scores in excess of 70, but found themselves stifled by the bowling efforts of Nathan Gilchrist as they mustered 285 in reply.

A keenly-contested match-up on paper was ultimately decided by virtue of the two combatants’ respective showings in the field, as Lancashire, who struggled, contrasted with an effective Kent, who - both literally and metaphorically – held on for victory.

Proceedings began with the men from the South East winning the toss and their captain Denly eagerly opting to take first use of a fine surface in Nottingham, though the decision initially appeared to have backfired as Ben Compton fell to Bailey from just the fourth ball of the match.

However, restorative partnerships between Evison and Ollie Robinson, and subsequently the former with Denly, reinvigorated the Spitfires as they moved through the gears despite wicketkeeper George Lavelle’s leaping snaffle of Robinson for 43.

In particular, they benefitted from wise usage of the DRS system to overturn an LBW call against Evison when he was on 48, with Hawk-Eye decreeing the ball to be narrowly missing the top of the stumps.

He went on to be bowled by a slower ball from Danny Lamb when three short of a century, though Kent were able to continue to profit as Alex Blake struck a 31-ball 38.

Darren Stevens - a hero to the Kent masses - was put down in the field when on 18, and he went on to make an unbeaten 33 in Kent's final total – which in a 21-run victory, felt like another rather pivotal moment of the many which have unfolded in Trent Bridge’s long history.

"He is a hero down at Canterbury," Denly decreed at the end of the game, "If this is his last game, he will be delighted to be lifting a trophy."

Having either runs on the board or knowledge of your target is an endearing cricketing debate, but though it was taken out of their hands, Jennings and Wells knew exactly what they required for glory, and a fast start saw them to 69/1 in 11 overs and to three figures by the end of the 17th.

The introduction of the departing Stevens into the attack saw cheers ring around Trent Bridge, but as Lancashire looked comfortable, it was Hamid Qadri who provided the key to unlock the match once more, as he saw Jennings miscue to Blake.

If Kent brought the veteran Stevens with them, for Lancashire, one could look at another seasoned county operator in Croft, who picked up where his captain had left off.

He partnered with Rob Jones to bring the required runs under 100, but the match-defining moment, a sterling Blake catch off Gilchrist, did for him and immediately gave the Spitfires fresh lift.

All-rounder Lamb refused to go to the slaughter without a fight, bullishly striking 20, but his dismissal by Grant Stewart precipitated the end, with Jones then trying in vain to overturn his lbw dismissal to the same bowler.

It ultimately fell to Evison, top-scorer in Kent’s innings, to bowl Hurt and evoke wild celebrations among the Kent players, staff, and – without doubt – travelling faithful.

Hence, the trophy makes its way to a new home and a fresh champion is crowned, passing from Cardiff and last year’s winners, Glamorgan, to Kent’s Canterbury headquarters.

The fact that it happened in the midst of a period when the baton of the wider country’s stewardship passed along, and a new monarch was crowned, may just be perfect parallel poetry.

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Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival

Tickets for the return of the Robin Hood Beer and Cider Festival are on general sale now.

Following a successful staging in 2021, Trent Bridge will again play host to Nottingham CAMRA’s flagship event from Wednesday 12 to Saturday 15 October.

The 2022 edition of the festival will feature an expanded range of bars and barrels extending across additional concourse areas, with extra seats available within the venue and new hospitality packages.

Tickets

Hospitality