Jordan Cox scores 82 not out in 44 balls as Kent Spitfires (172-4) beat Sussex Sharks (169-7) in T20 Blast at Hove

Jordan Cox led Kent Spitfires to their fourth Vitality Blast win in a row as they beat Sussex Sharks by six wickets in Hove on Tuesday night.

Cox hit an unbeaten 82 off just 44 deliveries, with six fours and five sixes as the Spitfires successfully chased down the hosts’ total of 169-7 with eight balls to spare.

He was well supported at the end by Jack Leaning, who made an unbeaten 28 from 26 balls, as the duo added 77 in eight overs in an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership. Cox completed the win by hitting Ari Karvelas (2-36) to leg for successive sixes.

Kent’s chase had got off to a good start with 25 from the first two overs but then Karvelas came on to bowl the third, bowling Tawanda Muyeye with his first delivery and then having Joe Denly caught behind for a third-ball duck.

When Tymal Mills came on to bowl the fourth over, he had Spitfires captain Sam Billings caught behind for just two and suddenly Kent were on the back foot at 28-3.

But Cox put the Spitfires on top once more with a fourth-wicket stand of 70 in seven overs with Daniel Bell-Drummond (38). The pair looked in total control before, in the 11th over, Bell-Drummond attempted to work Ravi Bopara to fine leg and got a top edge. Cox, though, carried on, reaching his half-century from 31 balls with five fours and a six. He then celebrated the landmark by hoisting Brad Currie over square-leg for six, before reverse scooping George Garton over third man for another maximum before his final flurry of strokeplay against Karvelas.

Earlier, Sussex captain Bopara hit a typically fluent 53 from 39 deliveries, with four fours and two sixes. The Sharks must have hoped for more after reaching the end of the 15th with a score of 133-3 but they were frustrated by some