Kent Spitfires (167-8) lost at Hampshire Hawks (221-3) by 54 runs in Vitality Blast

Kent Spitfires remain rooted to the foot of the T20 Blast South Group after losing at Hampshire Hawks on Friday night.

Spitfires were demolished by James Vince's 53-ball century before Joe Weatherley hit three sixes in the final over of their innings to ensure 40 runs were added off the last nine balls.

Kent never looked like chasing down the total despite Joe Denly's 49 and 44 from Alex Blake.

After four straight losses to start the Blast, Hampshire have got on a roll and moved into the top four for the first time.

Having been stuck in, Hampshire were only 32-1 - Ben McDermott skied Grant Stewart - at the end of the powerplay, and 12 of those came in the sixth over. That inauspicious start ramped up as Tom Prest and Vince found their gears quickly.

They started by using the expansive Ageas Bowl outfield to milk ones and twos, before accelerating into boundaries. The turning point from normal accumulation to intergalactic striking was Stewart’s third over which went for 25 runs. Prest started with a slog-swept six before Vince rounded it out with six, six, four.

From then on, the Hawks flew. Only one over in the second half of the innings went for fewer than nine runs. Both Prest and Vince reached half-centuries in 34 balls as they became the first Hampshire duo to put on 100 together in a T20 versus Kent.

After Vince had taken George Linde for 17, including a huge maximum over the leg side, Qais Ahmad ended the partnership on 128. Prest’s slog sweep only went up as he departed for a season-best 52.

Vince's second fifty came in 19 balls and included three towering sixes into the leg side and five fours. Stewart (2-47) removed him next ball while Fred Klaassen had figures of 0-67 after a disastrous final over, which