COUNTY Championship Division Two and YB40 cricket are taking a back seat for Kent as the T20 tournament occupies centre stage.

While this type of format may not please the purist, there is no doubt the crash and bash style of game does provide an entertaining spectacle.

Kent started their campaign with a friendly against New Zealand, who were preparing for a two game series against England.

Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor notched 50s for the tourists and Tom Latham smashed 38 off 18 balls.

Mitchell Claydon took 5-31 and Adam Riley went for just 26 off his four overs, which included the wicket of Hamish Rutherford.

Darren Stevens top scored for Kent with 41, while youngsters Daniel Bell-Drummond and Fabien Cowdrey also impressed but they never looked like mounting a challenge.

South African Vernon Philander then joined up with the Spitfires and it appeared that his 4-8 off three overs would see Kent on the way to victory over the Middlesex Scorpions but it was not to be.

Good knocks from Sam Northeast, Sam Billings (above) and Darren Stevens saw Kent set an adjusted target of 111 off 12 overs but despite the loss of the four early wickets, Adam Rossington (41no) saw them home.

On Sunday, Kent hosted Surrey and crashed to their second home defeat in three days.

Only Matt Coles (2-20) was able to contain Steven Davies (95no) as Surrey set an imposing target of 177.

Northeast (61) and Stevens (30) gave Kent hope but once they were out the innings subsided to 145-9.

The Spitfires are next in action on Friday when they host Essex Eagles at Canterbury (7pm) before heading to Uxbridge on Sunday for the return match with Middlesex.

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