Spitfires fans will be longing for a return to batting form for their ever-popular all-rounder Darren Stevens when Kent do battle with Hampshire in their seventh NatWest T20 Blast south group tomorrow.

A big Canterbury crowd is expected at the Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence, for this return fixture and home expectations will be high after Alex Blake’s unbeaten 71 from 30 balls inspired Kent to a thrilling five-wicket win at the Ageas Bowl last month.

While Blake and skipper Sam Northeast have been leading from the front, Stevens has, to date at least, suffered his worst run of T20 form ever, having mustered only 39 runs at an average of 6.5 from his six starts.

Yet as he approaches his 170th appearance in the format, 39-year-old Stevens knows all his batting woes can be forgotten in the space of one impressive T20 knock.

“I’m working hard and feeling good in the nets, so I’ve really no idea why it’s not quite going right for me out in the middle,” said the hard-hitting right-hander.

“It was the opposite way round last season, my scoring in T20 was fine but I was frustrated by my lack of runs in championship and one-day games.

“This season I seem to be finding ways to get out.

“There’s no set pattern, down the leg-side against Glamorgan, then I had one stop at me against Surrey, and I was caught on the ropes at deep mid-wicket against Gloucestershire - when all I needed to do was hit it.

“It’s been bizarre, but I can laugh about it for now.”

In a bid to find his first team form, Stevens played for Kent seconds on Tuesday against Essex at The Mote in Maidstone, scoring 68.

He said: “I’m fortunate these days to have two strings to my bow and my bowling is still getting me in the side.

“My last eight knocks have led to one score above 10, so I just need to get in.

“That’s the hard part right now.

“I’ve played enough to know it only takes one knock and a big one is always around the corner.”  

Conversely to Stevens, Spitfires’ skipper Northeast is enjoying the best one-day form of his life.

With 344 south group runs at an average of 68, he hopes the rest of his top-order will soon follow suit.

Northeast said: “My job as captain is hopefully to lead from the front and although I’ve achieved that in general, the batters as a unit haven’t quite fired in the past couple of games.

“I think it’s due, it’s coming at some stage and hopefully it will turn around soon.

“The good thing about T20 cricket is that we know we’ve played some good stuff in this competition and hopefully we’ll continue that on Friday.”

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He added: “The last match (in the championship v Derbyshire) was probably the worst I’ve had as captain, but those types of games will come around from time to time.

“It’s how we respond to such performances that count and, to date this season, when we have suffered a defeat we’ve bounced back incredibly well and that will be our motivation moving forward to the Hampshire game.”

Kent are without Sam Billings through England ODI duty and have injury doubts surrounding James Tredwell (side strain), Calum Haggett (hip) and David Griffiths (back).

Spitfires from: Bell-Drummond, Denly, Northeast (capt), Ball, Cowdrey, Stevens, Blake, Tredwell, Coles, Davies (wk), Claydon, Riley, Hunn, Hartley, Thomas. Haggett, Griffiths, Nash, Harmison.  

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