A sparkling century from skipper Rob key helped the Kent Spitfires to a 30 run win over the Yorkshire Carnegie in the CB40 on Wednesday night.

Key’s century saw the side to a total of 226 for 5 off their 40 overs and some tight bowling from the Spitfires attack restricted the visitors to 196 all out.

Sam Billings was the first man to go when on 15 as he was stumped by Hodgson off Pyrah as he looked to accelerate the run rate.

Rob Key was to bring up his fifty in the 18th over as he looked to work the ball around, whilst picking off the bad ball, punishing one ball that was too short from Richard Pyrah, powering it down the ground for six.

Shortly after bringing up the fifty partnership with Key, Northeast took one chance too many as he picked out Andrew Gale at cover as he attempted to put Adil Rashid to the boundary, falling for 26 with the score on 111 for 2.

There was a huge let off for Key when on 66 as he attmepted to reverse sweep Rashid, picking out Phil Jaques at short third man, but the Australian made a real hash of it, putting down the easiest of chances.

Nearing his century, Key began to accelerate as he and Stevens looked to take the attack to the Yorkshire bowlers with the skipper aggresive against former England bowler Ryan Sidebottom, smashing him over cow corner for six and then driving him straight down the ground for four.

The Kent Spitfires skipper picked up his century off Ashraf as he pulled him to square leg for a hastily run two, but was out later in that same over as he picked out Adil Rashid at square leg to end his innings on 101, a knock that comprised of 109 balls with two sixes and six fours.

Alex Blake was to come and go quickly for one as he played all around a faster ball by Ashraf leaving the side 188 for 4 with five overs to go.

Stevens was to depart for 43 not long after the Spitfires had made their way past the two hundred mark as he unluckily drilled the ball back to bowler Richard Pyrah who took a magnificent one handed diving catch.

It was down to Brendan Nash and Geraint Jones once again to finish the innings as the pair scampered as many runs as possible, taking the side up to 226 for 5 off their 40 overs to set the visitors a challenging target.

The visiting opening batsmen came out with the intent of knocking off as many as possible in the powerplay overs and were particularly harsh on Matt Coles with Phil Jaques and Andrew Gale playing shots all around the wicket.

Jaques was the first to fall when on 26 as a superb bit of fielding from Brendan Nash left the Australian short of his ground.

Future England batsman Joe Root came and went for just 10 as he picked out Alex Blake at cover off Mark Davies, with this side on 67 for 2 off just 9 overs.

At that point, Yorkshire seemed to be cruising, but once again they were pegged back by the Spitfires with the score on 117 as Adam Lyth picked out Sam Billings in the deep as he tried to send James Tredwell over the rope.

Later in the over and Tredwell had dispatched Adil Rashid back to the pavilion trapping him lbw for 0 as Yorkshire slipped to 118 for 4, still 109 runs short of their target.

Some good tight bowling from Tredwell and Brendan Nash began to put the squeeze on Yorkshire with Andrew Gale cautiously making his way past fifty.

However, he was to depart not long after as he tried to work Tredwell down the ground and succeeded in running past a turning ball and was smartly stumped by Jones for 57.

Gary Ballance was to fall off the very next ball as Darren Stevens found the edge of his bat with Geraint Jones up to the stumps taking a superb catch at the wicket leaving Yorkshire at 160 for 6.

With the pressure really building and Kent bowling some nice tight overs, Richard Pyrah tried to work Simon Cook down to long on, but Sam Billings was there to snaffle the catch in the deep, with the Yorkshire man out for 12 with his side still 41 runs short of their target.

Matt Coles was proving too hard for the Yorkshire batsman to put away and the pressure really told when Rafiq played at a wide one that all he managed to do was to drag it onto his stumps for 17, leaving his side on 191 for 8.

As the balls began to be chalked off, the visitors struggled to make effective use of the batting powerplay and the last two wickets fell in successive balls as first Dan Hodgson lofted Matt Coles to Mark Davies for 6 and Ryan Sidebottom recorded a goalden duck as he punted Coles to Sam Northeast in the deep to leave Yorkshire 196 all out.

That saw the Spitfires record a comfortable 30 run victory and they now head Group C of the CB40 with one game to play against the Sussex Sharks at Canterbury on Bank Holiday Monday.

Yorkshire Carnegie won the toss and elected to bowl.

Kent Spitfires side: Key, Billings, Northeast, Stevens, Nash, Blake, Jones, Tredwell, Coles, Cook, Davies.

Yorkshire Carnegie side: Gale, Jaques, Root, Lyth, Ballance, Pyrah, Rashid, Rafiq, Hodgson, Sidebottom, Ashraf.

Umpires: M Bodenham & R Kettleborough

Result: Kent Spitfires 226 for 5 (40 overs), Yorkshire Carnegie 196 all out (38.2 overs). Kent Spitfires won by 30 runs.