Mahmood scripts last-ball win

Azhar Mahmood sealed a thrilling chase at Canterbury

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Twenty20 Cup holders Kent Spitfires returned to winning ways and avenged Saturday's defeat at the Rose Bowl when all-rounder Azhar Mahmood hit the last ball of the game for four to seal a four-wicket victory over Hampshire Hawks.

In front of a nervy 5,000 crowd at Canterbury, the Spitfires successfully chased down Hampshire’s total of 162 for seven to secure their third win in four Southern Division starts.

Kent's reply was given a flying start through openers Rob Key and Joe Denly who posted 56 in six overs before Key ran himself out in attempting a cheeky second run to Billy Taylor at third man.

Denly, the 21-year-old England Lions batsman, then took on the responsibility of anchoring the innings and added a further 39 in tandem with Martin van Jaarsveld, before the South African went leg-before reverse-sweeping at Liam Dawson.

Denly reached his fourth successive cup fifty of the summer, from 45 balls with four fours and a six.

But he drove rashly at the next delivery from Nantie Hayward to lose his off-stump. Even so, the youngster went off to a standing ovation having taken his season's cup aggregate to 215 runs at an average of 53.75.

Kent still required 31 off their last three overs, two of them to be bowled by Twenty20 specialist Ian Harvey but, with Justin Kemp and Mahmood at the crease, Kent had firepower to match.

Kemp hit a straight six out of the ground to start the over and Mahmood finished it with a six and a four as 19 were taken off the tally.

Taylor's accurate over meant the hosts still required eight off the last.

Though Kent had Darren Stevens caught in the deep and Geraint Jones run out, they still got home when Mahmood clattered the last ball over the infield to win it with a boundary to the mid-wicket ropes.

It was all tough luck on former Kent batsman Michael Carberry who, for the second time in three days, took an excellent half-century off his old team-mates to top-score with 51 from 39 balls.

He featured in an opening stand worth 69 with Michael Lumb as Hawks made a cracking start, but the introduction of seamer Simon Cook, with 2-21, and off-spinner James Tredwell effectively applied the run-rate brake.

Tredwell finished his four overs with 1-20, including a maiden, his first in the competition and only Kent's sixth in six years of the event.