Kent Spitfires (159-4) beat Sussex Sharks (158-7) by six wickets in T20 Blast at Canterbury

Joe Denly's half-century led Kent Spitfires to a comfortable six-wicket win over Sussex Sharks in the Vitality Blast at Canterbury on Friday night.

Spitfires coasted home with seven balls remaining thanks to 33 not out from captain Sam Billings and some lusty hitting from George Linde.

Sussex had posted 158-7, with Linde taking 2-14 in four overs and Grant Stewart bagging 3-38.

Kent made an early breakthrough when, having won the toss and chose to bowl, Fred Klaassen had Mohammad Rizwan caught at gully for four with the fourth ball of the innings, but Ali Orr (36) and Harrison Ward (33) responded with a rapid partnership of 73.

Having endured a brutal debut at home to Gloucestershire on Tuesday night, when his only over went for 26, Jas Singh looked like getting a deserved wicket when Ward skied him to mid on, but Klaassen dropped the catch. Singh's only over this time went for 17.

Sharks reached 76-1 after eight overs but then imploded, with two wickets in the ninth over. Ward was run out by Qais Ahmad, chasing a non-existent single to point and Ahmad then caught Tom Alsop for one off Linde.

Orr fell in Linde’s next over, caught at deep backward square by Jack Leaning, and the same fielder caught Ravi Bopara off Ahmad for seven.

Delray Rawlins was given caught behind off Ahmad for 28 and Rashid Khan had made just three when he chipped Stewart to Tawanda Muyeye at mid off, before George Garton gave Sussex something to defend with 31 from 15 balls, before he edged the final ball of the innings to Klaassen to hand Stewart his third wicket.

Rawlins had Muyeye plumb in front for a duck in the first over of the chase but Henry Crocombe then dropped Jordan Cox off Steven Finn when he was on four.

Crocombe took his revenge when